Battered
by mortal-paralight
Summary: Bella's been beaten by her father for too long. Can a family of seven come and save her? And will a boy's love make her forget everything that Charlie's done? ALL HUMAN!
1. Preface

**Alright guys, so here's the preface to this story. Hopefully it's to your liking. And I am only doing this because I am having trouble with my other stories. Hopefully, this will end my writer's block!!! Please READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Preface

My life was a mistake. Well, with the way my dad's treating me; it's not surprising that the thought crossed my mind. Somehow, I had a feeling that if I died tomorrow, no one would miss me… except for one family: my family. Charlie couldn't be included in that category anymore, not with what he's done over the years.

I wish there was some way that I could be reunited with the old Charlie I used to know. He was so much better then than he was now. The old Charlie was sweet, would take me out to dinner once every few weeks or even gave me some money to go see a good movie in Port Angeles. Maybe there was some way to bring him back, if only I knew how.

Edward had been there to help my broken heart and scars. If he hadn't come to my rescue, maybe I'd be dead by now or worse… stuck in a hospital bed for many weeks, maybe months. He was my savior.

But had I deserved this? What had I done that was so bad as to get beaten every day? Or was fate testing me in some cruel sick way?

Hopefully, that would all end soon enough.

**So what did you think? If it's too much just let me know. And if it's good, let me know as well :) So please REVIEW!!!**

2


	2. Life

**Alright everyone, this chapter should please all of you, hopefully. So, again, I remind you that I am doing these chapters to try and get some ideas for my other stories and it is somewhat working so please, to others who are reading my stories right now, bear with me. I am trying my very best to get them all done as quickly as possible. So please, READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 1

Life

**Bella's Point of View**

_Beep… beep… beep…_

Ugh… Another morning meant another day of being unloved.

Life really sucks when you're me. It sucks when you're rejected from everyone and everything just by being different, or when you live in constant fear of your action or even others! _And_ it sucks when you have a dad like mine. I never wanted this life. If I had a choice, I'd choose to have a proper family, proper friends—well, actually, I'd love to have _a_ friend—and, most of all, a proper lifestyle.

Isn't there an old saying that you can't pick your family or something? Well, I completely agree with that. You see, my mother was extremely happy when she lived in Forks, Washington with my dad and I. She was a singer on her own time but worked in an elementary school. Renée just loved kids. But she died about nine years ago. Dad was so mad about her death that he started abusing me at the age of nine, only a few days after my mother's funeral. For the first few years, he'd do it about twice or three times a week but starting at the age of sixteen, it's been a beating every day. And I'm seventeen. Imagine that…

So… a normal day in the Swan residence would be this:

1) Wake up at seven o'clock in the morning, take a fast shower, get breakfast and go to school.

2) Get ignored for eight hours and drive back home.

3) Clean the house before Charlie gets home and usually, that means I have absolutely no time to do my homework. Good thing I count my lunch hour as a spare. That's where I get all of my morning class homework done and pull all-nighters for the afternoon classes.

4) Prepare Charlie's supper—that's right, I get two meals a day, which are breakfast and lunch, and mostly snacks at night during my all-nighters—and usually, he would hate the food and beat me because of that.

5) The usual beating before Charlie went to bed because I look too much like my mother and for causing her death. My dad normally goes to bed early and at least has the decency to beat me until I can still stay conscious.

6) After his beatings, I'd wipe myself off a little, take an ice bath—they really do help with the pain and staying awake—and finish my homework before going to bed, which is at about one or two o'clock in the morning.

7) Do it all over again the next day.

Yep, that was pretty much the daily ritual. And it got even worse when Charlie would get drunk. I'm not saying it happens often but when it does, I'm usually out like a light after the few kicks and punches. Plus, on top of that, whenever Charlie knocked me unconscious, I couldn't even go to school the next day because I could barely keep myself conscious very long.

Yeah, it's that bad.

So, that's pretty much my life. And now, I might as well get it started. Luckily, Charlie was always gone before I woke up. Getting out of bed made me gasp in pain. It really hurt. Last night's beating was a little above average. Charlie actually brought out a baseball bat this time—he was actually a little drunk—and a bone in my leg snapped. Today, my left leg was slightly purple. I'd have to fix that right away.

Ignoring the stabbing pain that raked through my body while getting up, I limped to the bathroom and started assessing the bruised, cuts and shattered bones, if there were any and there probably were a few. The damage to my face and body didn't scare me anymore. It just showed that my beauty could be broken in just a few years. No one wanted to be with me. I was the ugly duckling that no one wanted.

Looking at my bruised face made me realise that no boy would ever want a girl so broken and battered. An assorted of yellow, blue and purple bruises covered my face. A few cuts were starting to heal and some had some rusted blood. Lifting up my shirt, I saw that some of my ribs were purple, showing that some of them were broken or fractured. More bruised formed my stomach and chest. Man, Charlie sure did hit hard.

"Great… This is going to take a while," I muttered to myself while grabbing the tape and wrapping it around my torso to help my broken ribs. That took a few minutes, next came my leg. With difficulty, I lifted my left Pyjama pant leg and saw that towards my ankle, it was, in fact, purple with bruising. "Just wonderful…"

I could tape it up but it probably wouldn't work. Just great… I'd have to walk onto my bad leg all day long. Luckily, my car would probably help my leg relax. With my right foot, I could get anywhere. Putting on some cover-up on my bruises and cuts, I limped to the stairs and sighed. This was going to be painful. One step down the stairs wasn't bad but when my left leg landed on the step, I gasped in pain. It was going to hurt like hell.

Going as quickly as I could and ignoring the pain, my eyes darted to my watch. Seven fifty-six. Great… I had twenty minutes to get to school, and it took fifteen minutes to get there anyways. Fabulous. Grabbing a granola bar, preparing a jelly sandwich for lunch and swinging my backpack carefully onto my back, I limped out of the house and entered my truck, soon speeding out of the driveway and towards Forks High School.

When arriving, I saw that there weren't too many kids outside, but I still had a few minutes until classes started. But something caught my eye. A few new cars. Hum… wonder who those belong to? One of them was a shiny silver Volvo. Classy. And another was a BMW convertible. Ok, that took a lot of cash.

Forgetting about the cars, I limped into the school and got ready for class. English class was first. We were supposed to start Romeo and Juliet, one of my favourite plays from William Shakespeare. But today was different. "Class, we have two new students arriving today, Alice and Edward Cullen. They moved here from San Francisco so please, welcome them with Spartan pride," Mr. Berty introduced as a boy and a girl entered the classroom.

The girl was quite short. She had spiky short black hair and beautiful green eyes. Her pixie-like features were quite exquisite. This woman's size was extremely small and she looked like she could be a ballerina. But the other man, Edward, was simply to die for! He was extremely beautiful with his tousled bronze hair and gorgeous emerald eyes. Frankly, he was quite built. Nice muscles and a nice body, if you ask me. But he would never go for someone like me. What was I thinking?

Come on Bella; get him out of your head!

But suddenly, those green orbs of his just landed upon me. He smiled an extremely, stop your heart, mesmerizing smile. But I lowered my head, unable to look him any further. Why would he be interested in looking at me, an ugly duckling?

And where exactly would they find seats? There weren't too many to start with.

"Well, Mr. and Miss Cullen, you can sit right next to… Ah! Right next to Mrs. Swan." I had to say something… And yes, there was an extra seat on either side of me. Damn it! Never removing my eyes from my notebook, I didn't even notice them sitting to the desks next to me. "Now, can anyone recite Juliet's speech when she finds Romeo dead? Miss Swan?" He asked me, as usual. Mr. Berty knew that I was one of the best students who knew anything about Shakespeare.

Clearing my throat, I mumbled Juliet's monologue by heart. How many times I had read that play was a mystery to me. I stopped counting after thirty.

_Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. _

_What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand?_

_Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end._

_O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop_

_To help me after! I will kiss thy lips;_

_Haply, some poison yet doth hang on them, _

_To make me die with restorative._

_Thy lips are warm!_

Only two people clapped, which surprised me in the end. Looking towards the noise, I saw that both the Cullens were clapping with large smiles on their faces. What were they so cheerful about? I'd done it so many times but only received glares and sneers from everyone else. "Very good Miss Swan. Now, can someone…" And then he trailed off, leaving me to my own thoughts.

Looking to my right side, I saw Edward staring at me for one second before he turned his attention back to the front of the class. Of course he'd look away. I mean, why would he want to look at me and get a bad reputation on his first day? Better question would be: why would _anyone_ want to be with Ugly Bella Swan? With his drop-dead good looks, he could have any girl in this entire school interested in him.

The class went quite quickly and I was the last to exit the class. Mr. Berty stopped me before I could limp out of the class and into the crowded hallway. "Miss Swan, with your skills in Shakespeare, I do believe you should audition for the school production of _Romeo and Juliet_," He insisted with a small smile. But somehow, a part of my mind told me this was just another way I could embarrass myself in front of anyone. And besides, Charlie would never let me do it.

"Um… thanks for the offer Mr. Berty, but I don't think I should. There's a lot of other people who should audition, not me," I answered with the slightest smile, which hurt my face a little, but Mr. Berty just handed me a flyer for the school production. Auditions would be in a few weeks but, knowing my luck, I wouldn't be able to go.

"Just think about it," He answered before walking over to his desk and started grading some essays. When I was leaving the classroom, someone stepped to my side, scaring me half to death. And that someone would be Alice Cullen.

"You were incredible in class! I've never seen anyone recite it by _heart_! You were just…" She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence without the right word.

"Awesome?" I hesitated, hoping she wouldn't be mad. Alice didn't look like the type that would get angry but hey, don't judge a book by its cover, right?

But her face lit up when I spoke up. "Yeah! Exactly!" She replied excitedly while we walked—well, she prance and I limped slowly—towards my locker. "What happened to your leg?" She asked once we arrived. You know, for a new kid, I really liked her. But she couldn't bee seen with me. Already, our little conversation was really bad for her reputation. And I just want to make people happy, since I can't be.

"Oh, I just twisted it getting up this morning. My leg must have still been asleep 'cause my leg just turned," I lied, hoping she would buy it. Seems like she did.

"Well, my dad's a doctor. Maybe he could—"

"I'm sure it's nothing. It'll probably heal by itself in a few days." She seemed hesitant at first but I quickly changed the subject. "So, you and Edward are both in the juniors?"

"Well, I'm younger than my brother by a year and a half but I skipped a grade. And, well, my sister Rosalie's a senior. What about you? Any siblings?"

But just as I was about to speak, Tanya Denali, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory came up to Alice and me. One time, in psychology class, we watched 'Mean Girls' with Lindsay Lohan in it to see how bullying affected people mentally and how the teenage mind somehow worked. Anyways, there was this group of girls called 'The plastics'. Tanya and her gang reminded me of them.

"You're that new girl, right? Alice Cullen?" Tanya asked, flipping her strawberry blond hair. Jessica and Lauren just looked at me, disgusted. I looked away from everyone, even Alice.

"Yes, that's me," Alice answered politely.

"You know, you're actually really pretty," Jessica answered with a flip of her own hair.

"We don't actually don't do this often, but if you want to come join our group, we're willing to let you in." Ok, was this something they all did when they finished speaking? Even Lauren flipped her hair. Jeez…

"It's better than hanging out with…" Tanya's eyes darted to me and she pulled her perfectly t0o-red lips back, showing her disgust, "her," She finished, repulsed by looking at me. Her eyes went right back to Alice's green eyes. But I finally looked at Alice's clothes. She wore designer outfits! Wow… a lot of money, just like the cars they owned. Alice would be perfect for any guy here. No wonder the plastic witches—yeah, my nickname for them—wanted Alice to be with them. She would totally make any of them jealous with her looks.

"I'm sorry but—"

"Don't worry about it, Alice. You should hang out with them," I answered before limping away from them. Alice just stood there stunned by my answer but didn't try to stop me, even though anyone could at the moment. With my limp ankle—which was hurting like hell at the moment—anyone could stop me without even lifting a finger.

But of course, Alice wouldn't try anything dangerous on her first day. She probably wanted to be accepted by anyone, just like Edward. Speaking of him, he was nowhere to be seen. Guess he already knows not to hang out anywhere near me. Doesn't matter anyway. It's better that way.

Advanced functions class—which is just another excuse for a math class—was pretty simple, and none of the Cullens were in this class, which meant good things for them. By the time the teacher was about to start another lecture on geometrical formulas, the bell rang, making everyone rush out of the class to get their lunches. When I bought my lunch and was about to walk back towards my locker, something caught my eye. Alice and Edward were sitting at a table by the windows with… three other people. Two of them I recognized. Emmett McCarthy, a strong man that moved her about a week and a half ago from New Jersey, was talking to a blonde woman that could pass for a supermodel. That must be Rosalie. She had the same characteristics as Alice and Edward: beautiful emerald eyes, drop-dead good looks, and her laugh sounded exquisite. And next to Alice was Jasper Hale, another new kid that transferred here from Chicago a few weeks ago.

Both boys were fitting for the two girls. Emmett had strong muscles, curly black hair and a young face. Jasper had curly blond hair, small body and a very mature visage. But Edward seemed lonely out of all of them. Sure, he was listening to their conversations but… he didn't seem to like it.

Poor him…

"Hope he finds his happiness…" I murmured to myself before walking away towards my locker. My ears detected someone calling my name but I didn't bother knowing who said it. Someone probably wanted to insult me in some way. Maybe the plastic witches wanted their fair share of insults thrown at me for the day.

The rest of the day passed quickly for my taste. Alice was in my psychology class at fourth and Edward was in my biology class but other than that, my Spanish class was lonely, just like it's supposed to be. Both of them looked at me but never started an actual conversation. At the end of classes, I walked towards my car but Alice took my wrist—which made me gasp slightly at the touch, seeing as Charlie almost broke it a few days ago with one of his beatings—and turned me around gently to face her. She seemed upset.

"Bella, what happened this morning, it's bothering me. I—"

"Alice, don't worry about it. For your reputation, it would be a good thing to stay away from me." I looked around the parking lot and found some kids staring at us with disgust and something murmuring to each other about the both of us. Turning my attention back to her, I saw that her green eyes held sadness. Great… she's new and I'm making her sad on her first day. "Alice, it's better this way."

"Why? Just because _they_," she pointed to the kids in the parking lot, "think that we can't be seen together? I don't see why we can't. You're an extremely nice person and I want to get to know you and possibly be your friend."

That was so sweet of her to tell me this but… No! Bella, you can't do that. It would really be bad for her in the end. "Alice, that's not the best thing. It's just life. Besides, I saw you hanging out with Jasper. He seems nice. Maybe you guys should try to get to know each other. Trust me, you'll be happy about that," I answered her before limping away and entering my car. Alice still stood there saddened and I actually saw a small tear escaping the side of her eye. Oh god… How inconsiderate can I be?! One more reason why she shouldn't hang out with me: I just hurt everyone…

When arriving home, I started cleaning the house and prepared Charlie some lasagne, one of his favourite dishes. Maybe the beating wouldn't be too bad tonight if I prepared him his favourite meal. It would maybe put him in a good mood. This time, instead of just preparing it normally, a cookbook was staring me right in the face every time my eyes went to it for instructions. Yes, apparently I'm the worst cook ever. Well, that's what Charlie says, anyway.

A few hours later around seven, Charlie came home and his supper was on the table, neatly prepared and the aroma filled the room. "You prepared lasagne?" He asked me while plopping down onto one of the chairs but his voice didn't sound surprised. It was just emotionless, like every other night when he asked me about the food.

"Yes, sir," I replied, my hands entwined together in front of my lap as Charlie took one bite and dropped his fork noisily onto the plate. Here we go again… Charlie sat up and walked over to me. His hand collided with my face so hard, it stung worse than before. I didn't scream or cry; that would just upset him. "I'm sorry," I mumbled as another slap, this time on my other cheek, came my way.

"This food is terrible! I can't believe you cooked it!" He bellowed before punching me in the stomach. "You just ruined lasagne forever!"

"I used a cookbook this time…" I chocked, trying to get my breathing under control as my hand went to my stomach and my back still arched like an L. Some of my ribs started hurting like hell—remember, some of them are broken—as he looked at the counter and noticed the open cookbook that showed the lasagne recipe.

He slammed his fist into my back, making me fall to the floor with a loud _Thump_. "Great, you can even screw up recipes from books!" He answered with a kick to my ribs. Once again, I held my screams as he kicked my sides a few more times before sitting back down. Charlie stared at the food one more time before he ate another bite, making a gagging sound afterwards. "The only reason I'm eating this garbage is because I hate throwing food away. But next time, you better make it better," He warned as I still panted on the ground, holding my even more broken side.

"Yes sir…" I whispered loud enough for Charlie to hear. This was really going to hurt tonight. The beating would be a lot worse.

He ate his food while I just laid there, panting for breath and trying very hard not to interrupt Charlie. My father didn't seem too pleased but he finished it, left his plate on the table before looking at the clock. It read eight. Great…

"Perfect timing," He answered before he lifted me by the shirt and punched me in the face several times and threw me on the ground. Well, this was starting off extremely well. Seeing as Charlie was still wearing his working boots, he slammed his foot down on my left leg, snapping it even further. A cry of pain escaped my lips and Charlie smiled. This pleased him. My cries of pain would usually make the beatings longer but sometimes, I just couldn't keep them in. It was just too painful. Charlie took out a frying pan and started hitting me in the sides with it, causing a few bruises along the way.

This continued for about thirty more minutes when Charlie finally decided to leave me like this. His beatings usually didn't last this long. Normally, it would be about ten, fifteen minutes before he would go upstairs, watching some football and go to bed by nine, nine thirty sometimes. But maybe because his favourite meal was destroyed, he decided to make the punishment longer. By the end of it, Charlie threw the bruised frying pan onto my bleeding stomach and walked upstairs to watch the rest of the game.

That meant that he left me crumpled on the ground.

Every bone in my body hurt like hell, even worse than usual. This time, he actually brought me close to unconsciousness. Great… My eyes could barely stay open and my left leg was hurting so bad, the pain was the only reminder that my body still worked. This time, he'd used a sharpened fork—one that I was supposed to throw away but never got the chance—and scratched me along my arm. My blood was all over the kitchen floor as I forced myself up with my left arm, the only one that didn't receive a terrible beating.

Why was my life so messed up? Had I done something to deserve this?

Placing pressure on my left leg was like a knife stabbed it thousands of times. A gasp of pain escaped my lips as tears came down my face from the pain. With excruciating pain and difficulty, I limped upstairs as best as possible and started up the ice bath, did my homework an hour after that and went to bed around one thirty. Great… all of this would restart tomorrow.

**So, what did you all think of the first chapter? I hope it wasn't too graphic for all of you. It was the best I could do. Please tell me if it's good or not. And the only way you can do that is to REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**


	3. Another town

**Alright so here's your second chapter to this story. Now, a beating story isn't my favourite but it's a try. Hope you guys like it. So please, READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 2

Another town

**Edward's Point of View**

"Mom, do we really have to move? I mean, we were just fine in San Francisco," I whined as we drove towards our new home in Forks. Alice was excited, Rosalie could care less where we moved to but for me, this was the worst idea we had. My family and I had moved from place to place every four years since I was eight and this time was no different. My dad had gotten a better job at the hospital in Forks and told us we had to move. Although most of us agreed, I was against it.

I actually liked San Francisco. It was large, a lot of attraction but Forks, that was a horrible city. Always raining, hardly any population and the only attraction was Port Angeles about an hour away. Great…

"Edward, maybe this will be a good thing. Forks is a small town, it'll be better for everyone. And this is a great opportunity for your father. The town needs a new doctor," My mother replied as we drove into the city. The _Welcome to Forks _sign greeted us as we entered the small town of three thousand, one hundred and twenty people. Great… another change of city, another new school. What could be greater than that?

As we swerved into our driveway, I got a glimpse at our new house. It was fairly large. There was a large pool in the backyard; giant windows covering every inch of possible wall; three stories. I'd say it was pretty good. "I get to pick my room first!" My sister Alice boomed as she raced past me and into our new house.

Alice was the younger sister in all of this. She was sixteen, I was a junior and Rosalie was the senior. But unfortunately, since my little sister's a brainiac, she skipped a grade so now; she's considered a junior, like me. So she would be stuck in most of my classes. Great…

We all went into our new house with at least one box each and saw the interior. The living room was huge and there was even a television. I guess the other people living here before us didn't want it, surprising. The kitchen, where my mother would mostly spend her time, was just a little bit smaller than the living room but was still fairly large. A large island stood in the middle of the kitchen, opening up to many cabinets and shelves that my mother would love.

"Esme, why don't you bring that box into the kitchen while I start unpacking the living room?" Dad offered and Mom just nodded happily. My mother was a great cook. She spent most of her time in the kitchen making great meals for us. Her dream was to become a chef someday but she never got the chance because she had us.

"Edward, you can go pick your room. There's plenty to choose from," Dad answered with his smile and I just nodded. Maybe Mom was right. This was for Dad, not for any of us. We'd just have to accept it.

Going upstairs, I saw that Alice had already picked her room. She had chosen one with a large walk-in closet—no surprise for her since she's the one who spends all of her allowance on shoes and clothes—and the walls were replaced by floor to ceiling windows. It was a large bedroom fit for her. "Edward, what do you think?" Alice asked me as she twirled around and showed me her room.

"I think you won't want to leave the house," I mocked and she punched my arm playfully. With my sister, you could easily tease her and she would fall for anything.

"Seriously, what do you think?" She asked again.

"It's fit for you Ali."

"Thanks. Now, go pick out your room. Rose already picked out hers opposite me. It's slightly smaller than mine but it's just perfect for her," Alice answered happily as she pushed me out of her room and out the door.

The room at the end of the hall intrigued me. Maybe it would be perfect for me. Walking towards it, I saw Rosalie's room. Alice was right, it was perfect for her. A large room and just enough room for her large mirror and desk. My older sister loved herself. There was no other way of describing her. Rosalie was already deciding on where to put the bed and how to decorate her room. A small chuckle escaped my lips. She was exactly like her mother.

"What's so funny, Eddie? Jealous of my room?" Rosalie mocked as she approached me.

"Not in the least. It suits you well," I answered back.

She started glaring at me and walked up to me, only to stand a few inches from my face. "Don't blow this. Dad needs this job. And frankly, everyone is happy that we're here, except you. So don't go and screw this up," She threatened, her voice growing an octave. Once she finished her tirade, she turned around, walked into her room and slammed the door behind her.

Alright, so my sister was pissed at me because I didn't like the new town.

"Hurry up kids and get to bed! Tomorrow's your first day of school!" Mom screamed from downstairs. Looking at my watch, I saw that it was almost ten o'clock. Great, I'd have to get up pretty early tomorrow. Why did we have to get home so late? Walking over to the end of the hallway, my entire room came into view. There were a lot of shelves and drawers, perfect for my music collection. And trust me, no one touched those!

Again, there were floor-to-ceiling windows along two out of four of my walls, which showed the forest behind and to the side of the house. Frankly, the room was extremely nice. It had enough space for me to have a bed, my stack of music CDs and records, and much more.

"Mom, what do we do about the beds?" I asked as I looked at the empty room. No furniture was placed in this house and we needed to get to sleep.

"We've got a few mattresses that we can use and some blankets for warmth," Mom answered as she entered my new room. Placing my box of belongings on the floor, she came to my right and placed an arm on my shoulders like any mother would. "Sorry honey but everything will be settled by tomorrow when you get home from school. And your cars will be here by tomorrow as well. Your father called the airport and they told us they're being brought in from San Francisco as we speak. Everything will be finished by tomorrow, I promise," She assured me with a kiss on my forehead before Dad brought in a large mattress and some blankets.

In a matter of minutes, we had everything set up and I was in my 'bed' by ten thirty, trying to fall asleep. Frankly, a lot would change at this point in time. Tomorrow, we would go to school and try to fit in. But I wasn't too happy about being in this small town. It just wouldn't be the same.

* * *

Getting up, everyone got prepared, ate breakfast and got in our cars—Mom was right, they had brought in our cars from San Francisco—and drove off to school. Alice hopped in her Yellow Porsche, Rose in her BMW and I was in my beautiful silver Volvo—yes we had a lot of money but it's only because of Dad's job and we also had part-time jobs, which we had to give up as well. Sure, Alice liked to buy clothes and shoes every week but she had goals. She always wanted a Porsche and, what do you know, she got one.

When we arrived, it was cloudy. No surprise there. The forecast said that it was supposed to be cloudy and raining constantly this week. "Ok, so you and I have English first. Let's get going or we're going to be late," My little sister chimed in as we went to our lockers and prepared our books.

"You know, you're too excited. Tone it down a bit, why don't you?" I asked while walking beside her. We got a few looks as we crossed the hall but Alice just ignored them. She was way too excited to start her first day. Some boys looked at her with lust in their eyes; some girls looked at my baby sister with complete jealously. Trust me; Alice could turn anyone on simply by her looks. "Everyone's staring at us," I whispered and Alice just shrugged.

"So? Why should we care? We have to get used to this new school. Mom told us to," She chimed as we reached our first class. We entered and saw that the class had already started. Were we already late? Great...

"Yes?" The teacher asked. I remembered his name from my schedule; I think it was Mr. Berty. "Oh, you must be the new students," He turned to the rest of the class and started to speak once again. "Class, we have two new students arriving today, Alice and Edward Cullen. They moved here from San Francisco so please, welcome them with Spartan pride." I looked at the class and saw that a lot of girls were looking at me with lust—typical first day thing. But there was one girl who didn't seem to be paying attention until Mr. Berty started speaking again. She looked up and saw us.

This woman was absolutely stunning. Her mahogany coloured hair fell in front of her face, hiding some of her beautiful face but nevertheless, I could see it. Although it was rather pale and bones showed through, she had the most beautiful visage I had ever seen. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes stared at the front of the class but suddenly, they fell upon me. I smiled at her but she shocked me by lowering her head and looking away from me. What had I done?

"Well, Mr. and Miss Cullen, you can sit right next to… Ah! Right next to Mrs. Swan," Mr. Berty replied and we followed his orders. Sitting beside Mrs. Swan—well, her last name sure did give her credit. She looked exactly like a beautiful swan—we contemplated a chance to talk to her. Alice looked at me and made a heart sign with her hands. Man that pixie was annoying!

_Shut it pixie!_ I mouthed to her as she giggled softly and looked back to the rest of the class. "Now, can anyone recite Juliet's speech when she finds Romeo dead? Miss Swan?" Mr. Berty asked and Miss Swan immediately looked up shyly, still looking away from us.

But she cleared her throat and started reciting by heart.

_Go, get thee hence, for I will not away. _

_What's here? a cup, clos'd in my true love's hand?_

_Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end._

_O churl! drunk all, and left no friendly drop_

_To help me after! I will kiss thy lips;_

_Haply, some poison yet doth hang on them, _

_To make me die with restorative._

_Thy lips are warm!_

My sister's fell open immediately when this woman finished speaking. And frankly, so did mine. We started clapping at her speech but we got a few unwanted glances. Most of the kids were looking at us disgustingly and some even looked at us like we had just yelled out '_Hi everyone, I'm wearing no pants_'. What had we done that was so wrong? Miss Swan—it's surprising that I haven't heard her name yet—looked at us confusingly. What had we done?

"Very good Miss Swan," Mr. Berty said before he started a lecture. My eyes darted to Alice and she just looked at me dumbfounded. She shrugged her shoulders before returning her gaze to the front of the class.

I looked towards the girl and saw that she was looking at the front of the class. She turned around and saw me looking at her. When she noticed me staring at her, I turned right back to the front of the class, hoping she didn't think too much of me. At the sound of the bell, I quickly rushed out of my class and went to my locker as fast as possible.

"What's got you all tied up in a bunch?" Rosalie asked from beside me. Man, that girl could scare me sometimes. She leaned against the locker next to me and tried to get me to spill. But something caught my eye. A boy was right beside her, he looked about her age. Curly black hair, large muscles and just a few inches taller than her.

"And I see you brought someone with you," I answered, looking at the guy next to her.

She turned her head towards his face and batted those long eyelids of hers. "Emmett, this is my dork of a brother Edward. Edward, this is Emmett. He's in my grade," She introduced. Well, she didn't seem to be leading the guy on so, something must have changed with her since we moved here.

"Nice to meet you."

"Same here, bro!" He exclaimed excitedly. Emmett seemed to be one of those kind of guys who liked to party constantly. Or maybe he was just a big kid at heart. Well, then why would Rosalie be interested in him?

"Emmett, why don't I meet you next period?" She asked politely and he nodded before fist punching me goodbye and walking away.

"What's the matter with you? It's our first day and you've already got yourself a guy hanging on your every word?" I asked shocked and my sister just shrugged.

"He was in my class and he offered me to show me around the school. He's actually a very sweet guy, not like the other jerks in San Francisco. Anyways, what's got you bugging?" She asked with a slight smile. Rosalie loved to see me like this, all scared and freaked out.

But just as I was about to speak, Alice joined us but she looked incredibly sad. "What's the matter Ali?" I asked. Only one person could call her Ali and that was her big brother. Not even Rosalie could call her that.

"Well, I was just talking to the girl from English class. You know, Miss Swan?"

"Yeah, the girl we don't know her first name. So, what about her?"

"Well, we were talking and then a group of girls came towards us and asked me to join their little… pack," Alice explained sadly. Rosalie and I exchanged looks and returned our stares towards Alice.

"And?" Rosalie insisted.

"What did you do?" I asked, interested in her little story, even though this was obviously a girl moment. Man, had I really stooped as low as to liking girl conversations? Man, Forks is changing me. Maybe Alice should talk to Rosalie about this whole thing.

"Well, I was about to refuse it when the girl from English class told me it was alright and just walked away. Tanya and her gang just—" But Alice was interrupted when a tall man with curly blond hair came over to us.

"Are you talking about Tanya Denali?" He asked curiously. Why was he snooping into other people's business when he didn't need to get involved?

"Um… yes," Alice said awkwardly.

"Don't get involved with that girl. She's nothing but bad news. I'm Jasper Hale, just moved here a few weeks ago," Jasper introduced himself as he extended his hand towards Alice. His brown eyes were staring straight into my sister's green orbs. Was he trying to flirt with her?

Alice took his hand and answered: "I'm Alice Cullen, just moved here from San Francisco yesterday. How do you know so much about Tanya? She was so cruel to that girl… her last name is Swan…"

"You mean Bella? She's a loner. Never wants to get along with anyone because of the other kids. Well, that's what I heard anyways," Jasper replied with a little smile that made Alice bash her eyelids flirtingly. Somehow, anger boiled in me. Did this guy deserve to have my sister as a girlfriend?!

Even though Alice batted her eyelids, she held the largest frown I had ever seen on her pretty little face. So Bella had quite the influence on my sister. "But… Why would Bella get bullied? What has she done to everyone else?" I asked questioningly. Bella seemed like the sweetest and kindest person ever. And it sounded like she never hurt anyone.

"I'm too new to know that. Sorry I can't be of anymore help," Jasper apologized with that mature face of his. Well, he did seem like a mature guy.

"What grade are you in?" I asked questioningly like a good brother.

"I'm a junior." Well, at least he was in the same grade as us. I would be able to check on my little sis constantly. Alice needed a good guy in her life. She tried dating once and came home in tears two weeks after dating the guy because he cheated on her with another girl.

"Same here!" Alice beamed happily.

"What's your next class?"

"History. Yours?"

"Same! I guess I'll see you in class?" Jasper asked before he left us alone to the 'girl talk' that I hated so much. But it would help us understand Bella a little more. What did this girl do to me?! She made such an impact on us today that I couldn't help but feel… protective of this girl.

But just as we were about to speak once again, the bell rang, interrupting our little talk. "Well, as fun as this was, I better get going. I've got Calculus and it's not pretty," Rosalie answered before leaving us standing there.

Ali and I looked at each other sceptically. "So, what are we going to do about Bella?" Alice asked.

"Don't know. We'll talk at lunch." And with that, we both left for our next class. Unfortunately, Alice and Jasper weren't in it and neither was Bella. Her beautiful mahogany brown hair and chocolate brown eyes were all I could think of…

_Come on Edward; get her out of your head! She's not that important. You need to focus on getting your own reputation and liking it here in this small town. You can't think of girls, _I thought as the bell rang and I went to the lunch table. Apparently, Alice and Jasper were already seated and waiting for me and Rose. When I sat down, it didn't take long for Rosalie to come in with Emmett beside her. They both seemed extremely happy. It had been quite a long time since I'd seen both of them this happy. Maybe Emmet and Jasper were the right guys for them.

Well, they better be.

"Bella!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs and waved her hand towards the entrance of the cafeteria. Turning my head, I saw someone leave the cafeteria—ok, more like limping out of the room. Was that Bella? "Bella!" Alice asked again but the girl was nowhere in sight.

"She doesn't seem to want to be friends with a pixie," Rosalie mocked but got an extremely angry glare—as if looks could kill, Rose would be on the floor in pieces. Rosalie brought her hands up defensively and her eyes opened wide in shock. "It was just a joke Alice! If that girl can't find the decency to be friends with you, then she doesn't need any friends at all," Rosalie tried to comfort her sister but it didn't seem to work.

"Rosalie, that doesn't help."

"Well, at least I tried."

"She needs a friend. I doubt she has one."

"Look, I doubt you'll be able to see her anytime today so why don't you try fresh tomorrow?"

Alice crossed her arms, leaned into the cafeteria chair and pouted. "Fine," She replied sadly and we ate our meals without another word about Bella Swan.

Apparently, Alice had her psychology class with Bella but didn't get a chance to talk to her and I had my biology with her but, then again, same results. I kept looking at her from time to time, trying to get her to open up a little bit and talk to either me or my sister—again, why is it that I care so much?! She probably doesn't even want anyone around her—and yet, she decides to ignore us. I find that a little rude, if you ask me. Besides, Bella Swan was out of my mind by the time I got in my car and drove home for the day.

* * *

"Hey guys! How was your first day?" Mom asked happily.

"Fine Mom," I answered lifelessly while entering the newly renovated house. Mom had done a lot of moving and placing when we entered the house. The living room looked like it had in our old house, only better. My piano was against the main wall and the television was close to the kitchen, which had all the knifes, cutlery and whatnot. The white couches and seats were all placed in the living room nicely along with the masks Dad had gotten over the years of traveling. "It seems you did a lot of redecorating today."

"The only thing missing is the paint. I plan on starting tomorrow. So, Alice, how was your first day?" Mom asked pleasantly as she kissed my sister's forehead and then Rosalie's in happiness. This was Esme Cullen for you, everyone's mother. That's why we all loved her with all of our hearts.

"Great! This guy came up to me and I think he's actually pretty nice," Alice explained but then her expression changed as she remembered Bella Swan. "And then this girl… She seems a little distant."

"What do you think you should do Alice?" Mom asked honestly.

"Talk to her?" Alice asked, not knowing what to do. It's in these times that my little sister shined. During school, she tried to look and sound older but that attitude didn't seem to stick at home. Mom nodded her head and Alice's face beamed with happiness. "Thanks Mom!" And then, Alice just ran upstairs to her room.

"It seems Alice is about to make herself a good friend," Mom said as Rosalie went into the dining room to do homework.

"It sounds like it," I answered before joining Rosalie to do homework. Esme went to work in the kitchen, making us dinner but one thing kept going through my mind and that made it really hard to do my homework. I mean, why was she in my mind all the time? She did nothing but recite a few Shakespeare lines. It's nothing special. But… what if it is? Bella did that so professionally that it impressed me incredibly.

Maybe I should get to know this girl.

**So what did you think? A little too much? Well, please tell me what you think in REVIEWS!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

16


	4. Little talk

**Alright everyone, here's the next chapter. So, school starts again and work continues so I might not have a lot of time on my hands to write but this story will continue. We're getting to the good part anyways :P So READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 3

Little talk

**Bella's Point of View**

Ouch. Every single bone in my body hurt even worse than yesterday. It was unbelievably painful to even walk today. My left leg was purple, indicating the snapped bones and feet marks on it. Obviously, it would be hard to go to school with this but I had to. There was no way that I could just stay home. The secretary would call Charlie, asking him why I'm not at school and then, he would come home and beat me until I fall into unconsciousness.

I would just have to suffer through the pain.

Trying to walk as best as possible towards the bathroom became a bother. Looking at my stomach, I gasped when my eyes fell up it and saw that it was completely purple. Not an inch of skin wasn't covered in deep bruises. Charlie had done a good job this time. What would happen now? It would be hard to cover all of my stomach with makeup. That would be a waste. And tape wouldn't help this time. It was already hard to breathe and I'd already gone through most of it that going to the pharmacy after school was a definite must. Sighing, I pulled down my pyjama top and limped to the bathroom, deciding to just wrap up my leg, put makeup on my face and try to hide as much skin as possible with a shirt and loose jeans.

Looking at my watch, I saw that it was already past eight. Great. I'd be late for school this morning. What excuse would I use today, and hopefully one that I hadn't used before? There was no way that I could walk to school, not with this horrible leg of mine. Maybe I could say that it was a definite case of car trouble. Yep, I'd go with that one. It seemed the most logical explanation for my tardiness.

Getting dressed took many tries. A few times, small whimpers and cries of pain would escape my lips while trying to pull on my shirt and jeans. Going downstairs, many loud cries of pain would escape when my left leg landed on one of the steps. Why did Charlie have to beat me? Did I do something wrong to him? Or was it just simply because I looked too much like my mother? She would have never approved of his behaviour.

And frankly, if this continued, I doubt that I would live very long.

Sighing, I grabbed a granola bar and a banana, walked out of the house and drove to school. But the time my truck pulled into the parking lot, it was already eight forty-three. Great… almost half an hour late. This'll be fun to explain. Limping to the secretary's office, I gave her my lame excuse and she actually believed me. A small smile crept onto my face the moment I was out of the main office while limping to class. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad.

But, then again, that was a horrible hope.

My life couldn't possibly get any better.

When arriving in English class, I handed my tardy slip to Mr. Berty, which he accepted rather frustratingly, and I limped to my seat in the back of the class next to Alice and Edward.

They both looked at me worriedly when I sat down. Looking at both of them, my face changed from normal to questioning. _What?_ I mouthed to them and soon found a piece of paper being placed under my arm. Unfolding it, I saw one of the best calligraphy ever done.

**Where were you this morning**

Alice had written a worried message to me. Didn't she get the message yesterday that it's not wise to hang out with me? Grabbing a pen and taking a firm hold on the paper, I wrote back to her in a horrible scribble.

**Car trouble. What'd I miss?**

She didn't seem too convinced about my little excuse but she wrote back none the less.

**You're limping worse than yesterday. Are you sure you're alright?**

Damn it! Why did I have to limp so badly? I'd have to improve on my skills if anyone was to believe that I was alright. But… why did Alice care about me so much? I mean, she saw what happened with the plastic witches yesterday. It's not healthy for her to spend so much time with me. She'll get in trouble sooner or later and, if it was possible, I was going to avoid that. Coming up with another excuse, my hand wrote clumsily one more time on the note before handing it back to her:

**Don't worry about me. It's nothing. Just a bad leg.**

She looked at me sadly but didn't write anything back for a few minutes. When getting the note back, my mouth dropped.

**I want to help you Bella. That's what friends do. **

She wanted to be my friend? But why? She could find so many other people better for her than me. And opening up to Alice would be bad for me. If it happened, she wouldn't see me ever again. Literally. Charlie had told me eight years ago that if I told anyone, he would kill me and anyone who knew. That was not going to happen.

It took me forever to reply but the eight words that I wrote completely tore my heart in half. She was just trying to be friends with me.

**I don't think that's such a good idea.**

She looked so hurt when she read it that I could have cried right here and now if we weren't in the middle of class. But suddenly, the bell rang and everyone ran out of the classroom except for Alice, Edward and myself.

"Why can't we be friends?" Alice asked me in the most broken-up voice ever. Closing my eyes to avoid crying, my eyes turned towards her.

"I'm sorry Alice. I'm no good," I begged her, hoping she would understand as I limped away from them. Unfortunately, Alice ran up to me and tried to make me understand. What she didn't know was that she was the one who needed to understand.

"Bella, I don't get this. Why are you pushing everyone away? I'm just trying to be a good friend and help you but you don't want any help," She answered hurtfully—probably unaware of the hurt in her words—as she made me look at her. Why couldn't anyone just leave me alone…?

"Alice, that's—" Edward tried to speak up but I interrupted him.

"It's alright Edward. She has every right to be angry with me. But Alice, you need to understand that hanging out with me isn't good, for both of you," I answered, leaving them both standing there speechless. They needed a good life, without me in it. But frankly, all I did want was a friend.

**Edward's Point of View**

"I'm only trying to help her. Have you seen her limping? She looks hurt beyond measure," Alice whispered to herself, her expression saddening with every passing second that Bella ignored us.

"Maybe she doesn't want any help. It feels like she just wants to be—"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence! Haven't you seen the hurt in her eyes? It looks like it... it goes a while back. I'm not going to stop Edward," Alice promised me before walking away and trying to catch up to Bella, who had disappeared in the crowd of kids.

Alice and I hadn't spoken one word to one another since English. We'd gone through our second period and Lunch without speaking. All I tried to do was find Bella and get through to her to speak to Alice. Walking out of the cafeteria, I went towards the lockers and didn't find Bella anywhere. I checked outside the school and found nothing. In the parking lot, my eyes finally detected a small girl with mahogany hair in a large and old truck. That was Bella. She was eating a sandwich all alone in her truck.

Did she really want to be excluded from everyone? And why?

"Bella…" I whispered to myself while approaching her car. She noticed my sudden change and panicked, dropping her sandwich probably on her lap and trying to open her door.

I'd already pried the passenger door and entered her car. "Relax Bella, I'm not here to hurt you," I assured her but she didn't seem to relax. Although, she did close her door. That was some progress.

"I'm not afraid of getting hurt," I heard her mumble to herself as she bowed her head and grabbed her sandwich once more. Why did she feel so isolated?

"Then what are you afraid of?"

She turned her head towards me, shocked at my sudden question and spat back: "That's none of your business!" Pulling back at her sudden sharpness, she composed herself and bowed her head once again. "I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry about it."

"Why are you here?" She asked me sadly. My heart sank at the sadness and pain in her voice but… she needed help.

"Alice tried to talk to you after English and you kind of blew her off. I just wanted to know if you were alright," I answered, hoping it would lighten her mood. Wait a second, back up. Why the hell did I want to get attached to her? She didn't _want_ to have friends, let alone someone to talk to. "Are you?"

"Why do you care?" She asked, once again breaking my heart at her sadness.

"Frankly, I don't know. But something tells me you need to talk to someone. You know, my sister really wants to be your friend, or at least get to talk to you."

"It's better if I stay away from everyone."

"And why's that?" And suddenly, some kids passed by, noticed me in Bella's truck and laughed before walking away. Bella pointed her finger at the kids and suddenly, realization hit me. "Oh, it's because of everyone else. Well, what if I told you I didn't care?" And frankly, that was the truth, in some way. It didn't really matter what people thought of me, but I also wanted to be accepted by people.

"You should. It's really bad luck to be hanging out with someone like me. And it's not healthy," Bella answered as she turned her chocolate eyes on me and frowned. What was she hiding?

"Well, Alice doesn't seem to really care."

"She might not, but I do."

"Try giving her a chance. You might start to like my baby sister," I insisted and saw Bella snort. Is it just me or Bella didn't want anything to do with anything or anyone? Which only brought on a feeling of… wanting to help her. All thoughts of wanting nothing to do with Bella were just erased from my head and replaced with longing and protectiveness.

"Please Edward, if you know what's good for you and your family, you shouldn't even be seen near me," Bella whispered.

"Is that a threat?" I asked shocked.

"No, it's a warning." She turned the full force of her brown eyes on me, which made me melt and feel hurt at the same time. Looking deep into her eyes, I could feel all the hurt and suffering she has gone through during who knows how long. "Please take it into consideration."

"And what if I told you I won't?" Somehow, my attitude had changed when looking into those dark brown eyes. It made me want to disobey all of these stupid warnings and protect this girl from anything and anyone. "What would you do if I didn't stay away? Bella, my sister and I only want to help you."

"I don't need your help," She muttered.

"Apparently, you do. Now, how about we get out of this rusty old car and go to class?" I offered and she looked at me undetermined. "Come on, you can't stay in this car all day long. And you obviously can't skip class. Now _that's_ not healthy." She chuckled slightly at my little joke and opened her car door. Bella exited her car extremely slowly and gasped out in pain when she landed on the floor. "Are you alright?!" I asked while getting out.

Rushing to her, she started limping towards the school. I stopped her and tried to assess the damage. "Don't worry Edward, I just turned my ankle a little and it still hurts." When she saw that I didn't buy it, Bella limped towards the school and stopped when she noticed once more that I didn't follow her. "Come on, we're going to be late for class if you just stand there."

Even though I didn't buy her lame excuse, my feet started leading me towards the school and I walked up to her as we both went to our different classes.

**Alice's Point of View**

Bella had entered the Psychology classroom and limped to sit next to me. "Hi Bella," I greeted with the best smile I could muster at the moment.

"Hey Alice," She muttered while trying to keep her gaze at the front of the class.

"Look, about what happened after English, I didn't mean to say—" But I was interrupted when Mrs. Laul started speaking to the class and my eyes had to divert from Bella to the front of the class.

"Alright class, today we're going to speak about the…" But after she started speaking, something small and papery was pushed against my skin. Looking at it then to Bella, she jerked her chin towards the note.

Unfolding it, I started reading Bella's somewhat bad writing.

**Don't worry about it Alice. You were right. I am trying to push you away and for good reason. **

Still dumbfounded by what she wrote, it took me a few minutes just to write back.

**And what good reason might that be?**

Bella seemed to hesitate at first but wrote a very short that shook me to my very core.

**Something you don't want to get stuck in.**

Looking over at Bella, she seemed to have a sympathetic face plastered on her small face. What did she mean by that small sentence? A small idea popped into my head but… would it upset Mom and Dad? I mean, it's last minute notice. But I still wrote it down.

**Bella, how about you have dinner at my house tonight? I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem with anyone. And it'd be fun. Edward would be thrilled and frankly, it would make me happy. Please?**

Bella read the note and her face literally dropped. What was wrong with having dinner with someone? Better question was: has anyone ever asked her? It seemed like Bella never had any friends. Suddenly, Bella's hands clenched into fists and started shaking. Was she angry with my offer?

But she still replied back.

**I don't know about that… I have to be home right away.**

So this was about her parents. They would be worried.

**Don't worry. I'll call my mom and she'll call your parents.**

She stared at me after reading my last reply and a smile crept on her face before she replied back shakily.

**Thanks for the offer but I don't think my dad will approve.**

With a large smile of my own, I replied back happily.

**Just trust me Bella. Everything will work out fine.**

Somehow, she seemed to lighten up at my response. She smiled at me before writing back. In my heart, I knew that it was the right thing to do to invite Bella over tonight.

**Are you sure it's fine with your parents? **

A large smile crept onto my face at her 'almost' answer. She was going to say yes! And I had to get Mom's permission. That was the only small factor in all of this. I nodded my head at her—even though I wasn't sure myself if it was alright—and she replied once again.

**Alright then, I'll be there. **

"Oh thank you Bella!" I screamed, flinging my arms across her neck and she winced slightly. Was something wrong with her neck too?

Someone cleared their throat and Bella and I both looked in front to find Mrs. Laul looked at us, demanding an answer. "Care to share with us, Mrs. Cullen?" Mrs. Laul asked me while I unwound my arms from around Bella's neck.

"Um… Bella just explained something to me and I was grateful for that. I'm sorry," was my lame excuse but it seemed like Mrs. Laul bought it.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again," The teacher responded before continuing her lesson.

Bella and I didn't continue our conversation but it showed that she was happy to come over tonight. It seemed like she needed one night to herself. When we got out of class, she told me that she would see me tonight and then, I was face to face with Edward.

"What's got you smiling like crazy?" He asked me while we went to our lockers.

"Nothing. I just invited Bella over for dinner tonight and she accepted. Now, I've just got to call Mom and—"

"What?! Why would you do that? Did you ever stop to think that she never wanted to be invited to anything?!" He practically screamed at me.

"What's the matter with you? It's like you want to avoid her."

"No, it's not that… I—I just…" He was speechless. Ha! I'd made my brother speechless. Victory! He sighed before saying: "Fine Alice, call Mom now before you go to class. I'll see you after school." And then, he walked off to Biology.

This was perfect. And I still had about five minutes to call Mom and ask for her permission. Dialling my mother's cell phone number, Mom picked up on the fourth ring. "_Hey Alice, what's the matter?_" Mom asked worriedly. Usually, I never called during school hours but it's better than having to wait after school.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering if I could invite someone to dinner tonight. Is it alright with you?" I asked her hopefully.

"_Sure, is it that special friend of yours that you were trying to talk to yesterday?_" Mom asked, obviously knowing who I was talking about.

"Yes, it is. Do you mind?" I asked, almost crossing my fingers and hoping she would say yes.

"_Sure honey, tell her to come by six. Does her parents know about this?_"

"No, that's why I was wondering if you could call Bella's dad and ask him for me. I have to go to class in a few minutes. Would you mind doing that for me?" But frankly, it would be a long shot. Bella had never told me about her father or even her mother. How would Mom figure this out?

"_Don't worry honey. I'll figure this out. What's your friend's last name?_"

"Swan, if that helps."

"_I'll do some digging and text you when I know anything. Now, you better hang up and go to class, young lady. And you better not be late,_" Mom answered, her motherly tone kicking in. It made me chuckle to hear her this way.

"Alright Mom, I'll talk to you later." And with that, I hung up and went to class with a large smile on my face.

Tonight would go well, hopefully.

**So what did you think? Any better? Please REVIEW!!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

16


	5. Dinner with his family

**Alright so here's a super long chapter for you all!!! READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 4

Dinner with his family

**Bella's Point of View**

God, what would Charlie do tonight? I mean, Alice invited me over to her house but… would it go well when I came back home? Who knows what Charlie would be like when he came home… Oh dear lord! I doubt he'll let this one slide.

Cleaning the house spotlessly when I came home, some strange thoughts crossed my mind. What would Edward's family think of me? And didn't Alice say that her father was a doctor? Damn it! I'm going to be in so much trouble tonight… What if I did something absolutely repulsing and they would reject me? It was the first time that someone invited me to their house and I didn't know what to do! DAMN IT! How am I going to get through with tonight?

Charlie walked in just as I was finishing up his dinner. "Well, I got a phone call from a Mrs. Cullen today and asked me if you could have supper at her house tonight. What would they want with you?" My father asked while he sat at the kitchen table.

"Well… her son and daughter are… um… in my class. And… well… her daughter asked me to have dinner with her…" Charlie had already said yes to Alice's mother so, what would he do now? Charlie couldn't possibly hurt me now, not if he wanted to keep his 'loving dad' appearance. "They told me to be at their house by six…"

"Well, you better get going, you worthless piece of trash," Charlie retorted before taking a bite out of his dinner, making a disgusted look and taking another bite. He'd never called me worthless before. Charlie had never done any name calling in all of the eight years he had started beating me.

A few tears slid down my face while I mumbled: "Yes sir," and left the house. While driving, a few more tears slid down my face. Maybe it was a bad idea to go to the Cullen house tonight. Charlie was right. I am worthless. And Alice shouldn't have to put up with me. "God… I'm so stupid…" I muttered to myself while driving towards the woods. Slowly pulling my truck to the side, a few more tears decided to slide down my face as I checked the time. Five forty-eight… still a few more minutes until I had to show my worthless face into their new house.

There was a bottle of water in my truck that I could use to hide the redness but it would smudge the makeup. Already it was smudging. Looking myself in the small mirror, I saw that some of my bruises were showing. Great… Good thing I had a small compact of makeup in my storage compartment. Taking it out and applying it to the bruises, it was a good thing my crying had stopped because it would have smudged the makeup even more. It took a while but after having every piece of my skin—or almost—under makeup, the crying almost stopped.

Well, enough crying and wallowing in my own doubts. Time to show my face in their house. Sighing, I swerved my truck on the road once more and drove down their steep driveway and stopped in front of the shiny silver Volvo. Looking at their beautiful home, my mouth fell open. It was _huge_! So light and open, it was unbelievable that they had so much money. Then again, their father is a doctor and doctors make a lot of money. I wonder what the mother does for a living…

Getting out of my car carefully, I limped up to the front porch and didn't even have to ring the doorbell for someone had already opened it. And that person was Alice.

"Bella! I'm so happy you could make it! Come on in!" She exclaimed happily as she ushered me inside slowly, knowing I had a 'bad leg' and had to walk quite slowly. "Dad's going to come home soon, if you'd like him to check out your leg," She offered, which made my heart race. If her father looked at my leg, he'd know something's wrong.

"Thanks for the offer, but it's fine," I assured her just as a woman with beautiful caramel coloured hair, a heart-shaped face—not literally, it's just a figure of speech—and stunning green eyes approached us with a heart-felt smile.

"Ah! I see your friend has arrived," The woman answered before standing in front of me.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet my mother, Esme," Alice introduced. Man, her mother was so beautiful. It made me feel inferior, like I shouldn't be standing here in front of these beautiful people. They could all pass for supermodels.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen," I answered but she just brushed off my greeting.

"Please, Mrs. Cullen makes me feel old. Call me Esme," She replied, making me feel slightly better that she wasn't offended by my greeting.

"Alright, Mrs. Cul—I mean, Esme. You have a lovely home," I answered while looking around. Their living room looked like it had been here for years, not just days. A large black piano stood against the wall, pulling me towards it. Playing had always been one of my favourite things to do in my spare time but because of Charlie's beatings, that stopped. My father had even taken away my keyboard piano because it reminded him too much of Mom. "You have a beautiful piano…"

"Thank you. It actually belongs to Edward."

My eyes darted from the piano to Esme in complete shock. "Edward plays?"

"And he's quite good at it," Alice replied, stepping away from me to stand beside her mother. "He really hates bragging about it."

"And I don't. You know that Ali," Edward's musical voice came from the staircase as he joined us in the living room. His bronze hair was tousled and he wore a plain white T-Shirt and blue jeans. And he was absolutely gorgeous. Again, my feeling from earlier about leaving this beautiful family just grew and grew. "Hey Bella."

"Edward…" I mumbled shyly.

"Do you play, Bella?" Esme asked me, snapping me out of my horrible thoughts.

"Um… a little but it's probably nothing compared to your son," I mentioned, eyeing Edward pleasantly as he flashed me a crooked grin that made my heart skip a beat. Why was I falling for this guy so easily? It showed that he probably wanted nothing to do with me so why should I even get attached? I'm the ugly duckling compared to this Adonis.

"Why don't you demonstrate your skills to us?" Edward asked, obviously curious.

Suddenly, I was feeling extremely nervous. "Um… I don't think that's just a good idea… I have a really bad leg…" was my lame excuse. They all looked pleadingly at me so, I added with a little smile: "Maybe a little later tonight."

"Perfect!" And suddenly, a door swung open behind me and a man with perfectly combed blond hair and lovely blue eyes came through the door, a black medicine bag in hand.

He spotted me and stopped in his tracks. "Oh, I didn't know we were going to have company tonight," Dr. Cullen answered casually but the way he answered that made me want to leave and let them have their dinner as a family.

"I can leave, if it suits—"

"Nonsense, Bella! We're ecstatic to have you over! And now that Carlisle has arrived, we can start eating," She mentioned as she gave me a big hug. It had been a long time since someone hugged me this way. She was so motherly towards everyone, it almost made me want to cry. Esme stopped our embrace, turned her head to the side and screamed over her shoulder: "Rose, would you mind moving your homework so we can eat?"

"Sure Mom!" A lovely female voice screamed from the kitchen.

"It seems you have a big family," I replied as Esme ushered us to the dining area.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't met Rosalie yet," Alice realised as we made our way to the kitchen table. Esme was putting all the food on the table as a woman about a year older than me with blond hair and stunning green eyes packed up her school books and put them aside. I'd seen her that first day in the cafeteria but otherwise, we hadn't been properly introduced. Rosalie took one glance my way and didn't say a word as she returned to moving her books.

_She doesn't like me,_ I thought to myself as we all sat down to eat once Esme told us to. She had done everything imaginable: backed potatoes; meatloaf; steamed vegetables; sliced bread with butter on the side; the list goes on. And it all smelled delicious. If I could cook like Esme, maybe Charlie wouldn't beat me every day. Somehow, for no reason, I was jealous.

But jealousy was soon replaced by realisation. Tonight would be the first supper I would get in one whole year. Charlie never let me have any supper and he would never know about the snacks. It would only upset him more and the beatings would only get worse.

"You can just help yourself, Bella," Esme said as she handed a few plates to everyone so they could help themselves to what they wanted. Filling my plate with food and taking a bite of meatloaf, warmth and loving memories flooded my mind.

The first time my mom taught me to sing… When she tried to teach me piano… The times at the beach in La Push, Washington… The three of us laughing and having a good time… It was all so overwhelming.

"Do you like the food Bella?" Esme's voice brought me out of my reverie. I opened my eyes—not even realising that they were closed—and saw that they all had smiles on their faces.

Gulping, I muttered an answer. "Um… yes, it's delicious. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, dear. Now, tell us about yourself. How long have you been in Forks?" She asked before taking a bite of meatloaf.

"All my life, I haven't been anywhere else."

"And where did you learn how to play piano?" Edward asked. Of course he'd come back to this. I was the mystery girl and he wanted to know more.

"From my mother." It was still a little hard to talk about her. No one knew, other than the kids at school and practically everyone in La Push and Forks knew that she had died. But the Cullens didn't need to be burdened with my petty stories.

"She must be quite the musician," Esme commented happily.

"She sure was…" I muttered but unfortunately, they all heard me and looked at me sceptically. Composing myself once more, I came up with a lie. "She stopped playing a few years ago." _And stopped living a few years ago,_ I thought to myself before taking a quick bite of bread.

"I'd love to meet her," Esme mentioned with a smile.

_I'm sure she would._

"So, I hear your father is the Chief of Police in Forks? That must be quite a title," Dr. Cullen mentioned in between bites.

"Um… yes it is, Dr. Cullen," I mentioned shyly once more. But he seemed to brush off my comment as well. What did I say this time?

"She seems to be well raised, Alice," Dr. Cullen mentioned with a slight smile to his daughter.

"Did… Did I say something wrong?" I asked to no one, hoping that they wouldn't be mad at me for being polite. Charlie would never let me call him 'Dad' or anything other than sir. Maybe that was where the good manners came from. I was always afraid of getting hurt by anyone, especially my own father.

But Dr. Cullen started laughing at me. "You did nothing wrong. But you are much too formal. Here, you can call me Carlisle. Guests don't need to be so formal in the Cullen household, Bella," Carlisle responded with a fatherly smile.

"Thank you," I whispered with a slight smile of my own.

"Oh and Dad, would it be possible that you could check on Bella's leg after dinner? It seems to be bothering her," Alice asked, making me glare at her. Why did she have to ask that? It wouldn't help my situation in the least.

"Actually, it's fine. No need to look at it," I reassured the both of them.

"But Bella, it looks like your leg could be badly hurt. My dad's right there," Alice answered, pointing to her dad with her fork. Carlisle turned towards me and his serious doctor face came on.

"I'd be glad to take a look at it if you'd like, Bella," Carlisle answered and I just shook my head while Alice nodded hers. It wasn't possible to kick her under the table, seeing as she was on my left side and it would hurt like hell to kick her with my left leg. Damn you Alice!

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?" Edward asked with a slight chuckle. My gaze turned to him and I sent him daggers, which he laughed at even more. What was wrong with him? "Hey, only pointing out the obvious."

"Thank you Edward but my leg is just fine. It's only a little sprain," I lied between my teeth while keeping that angry gaze of mine on him.

I could swear that Alice mumbled something that sounded like: "Doesn't look like a little sprain." Would everyone just stop picking on me? Glaring at her, she smiled and sighed before speaking once again. "Look Bella, you're outnumbered, just give up and let Dad look at it. It won't take long."

A sigh escaped my lips and decided to give in but wouldn't give them any information about how it happened. "Alright, but may I finish this wonderful dinner first? I'm sure your mother would be very upset if her food went cold," I answered and Esme just chuckled as everyone kept eating.

The Cullens kept asking me minor questions about myself, which were simple to answer, considering that they weren't about my father or the past. It wasn't right to lie to this family. They did nothing wrong. But I wouldn't have a choice if it came to that. After we all finished, Carlisle rose and asked me if I wanted him to check out my leg privately or in the living room. I answered him honestly that it would be better to do it privately. He simply told me to follow him into his study, which was thankfully on the main floor, and we entered a large room with many bookcases, masks and paintings. It was quite exquisite and exotic.

"This is your study? It's amazing," I stated as Dr. Cullen grabbed his medical bag and took out a few things like bandages and scissors. At first, they scared me but, knowing that this man was a doctor, the fear was erased.

"Thank you. They're all collectables. Now, would you like to sit over on my desk or on the couch?" I didn't even realise that he had a small psychologist couch near his desk.

"The couch is fine," I mumbled while limping over to the couch and sitting on it. Carlisle didn't take his eyes off of me as I sat down on the comfortable couch. He obviously didn't like my limping. Sighing, I decided to come clean with the doctor. "You're not going to like what you see."

"And why is that?" Carlisle asked as he bent down and started rolling my pant leg up slowly, careful not to hurt me. Sure it hurt a little but not as much as this morning.

"You'll see…" I muttered to myself when the purple started to show. His eyes grew wide but he kept rolling my left pant leg. When it was above the knee, Carlisle stopped and stared. I warned him that he wouldn't like what he saw. It's horrible what a father can do to his daughter.

"Dear lord…" Carlisle muttered but I just turned my head to the side and closed my eyes, hiding the shame in them. No one should have to see this… "Bella, who did this to you?" He obviously knew I didn't do this to myself. Smart man.

But he couldn't know. "I… I can't tell you."

"Bella, I can't help you if you're not willing to let me help you," He reassured softly. Carlisle wasn't trying to pressure me or anything, he was just there to help. But I still couldn't tell him.

"I just can't…" I whispered while shaking my head back and forth. My heart was beating quickly and it felt like my heart was in my stomach, making my broken ribs hurt like hell. "Please…" My voice was shallow and Carlisle immediately saw the difference.

"Bella, what hurts?" His tone was very professional as he stood up and pushed me softly on the shoulders for me to lie down. With difficulty, I followed his orders and tried to get my breathing under control. Carlisle placed his hands on the bottom of my shirt and asked: "May I?" He actually asked for my permission. That reassured me a lot and a feeling of trust came to me. Carlisle Cullen wouldn't hurt me, not like my father did every day.

I nodded and he immediately started lifting my shirt up and lifted it right under my breasts. Good thing I was wearing a sports bra. It didn't hurt as much. When he saw my untapped stomach, he gasped and all of a sudden stopped any movement. "This is worse than I thought… Bella, is someone beating you?" What the hell?! He gets one look at my stomach and leg and immediately _assumes_ that someone's beating! Not that it isn't. But he didn't have to know. He took my silence as a problem. "Bella, is someone beating you?" He repeated and a few tears fell down my face.

I couldn't hide this anymore. It had been so long that I kept this a secret. And maybe Carlisle couldn't tell anyone. Nodding, he sighed and asked me another question. "Bella, who is it?" Again, silence filled the room. Carlisle didn't like this, it was obvious. But he reformulated the question. "Bella, is it someone you know?" I nodded, more tears falling down my cheeks. "Is it someone close to you?" Another nod. "Is it a friend?" I shook my head. Carlisle sighed and asked another question. "Is it a family member?" I nodded and the atmosphere seemed to change as Carlisle started to figure out who's been beating me. "Bella, have your parents been beating you?"

"Could you pass me a notepad and a pen please?" I asked, my voice shaking with every word. It was hard to say anything to him when I was told that if anyone knew, they would be hurt. Maybe I wouldn't be breaking that threat if it was written down. Carlisle went to get a small notepad from his desk and came back with both items. Scribbling down for a few seconds, I ripped out the piece of paper from the rest of the pack and handed it to him.

**Carlisle's Point of View**

Bella had deep and serious injuries. She obviously hadn't done these herself, they were too extensive for her to have done it herself. And besides, she couldn't bang her own leg that badly. "Bella, have your parents been beating you?" I asked her softly, trying not to scare her too much. She had been silent throughout my whole series of questions but now, she just asked me for a notepad and a pen. What was her plan?

But then again, I obeyed and seconds later, she handed me a small piece of paper with many words scribbled on it.

**My dad's been beating me. **

**But you can't tell ANYONE!!!!**

"Please…" She pleaded as more tears fell down her face. The extent of her injuries shown when the tears removed the apparent makeup she had applied on her face. Many deep bruises formed her face, not leaving an ounce of skin uninjured. This was horrifying. But I didn't even know this girl and we were already treating her like family. So far, she was just a patient who needed a lot of help. To think that her father was beating her. It was… gruesome! And Bella seemed so sweet and gentle. And so polite. "Please Dr. Cullen. You can't tell anyone," She pleaded once more before wiping the tears away.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose and promised: "Alright. I won't tell anyone, doctor's oath." And I always kept my promises, no matter how painful they were.

"Thank you," She whispered as I bent down and took one more look at her badly broken leg. It showed that she had walked on it for too long. "There's no way you can help me without my dad knowing, is there?" She read my face easily. Damn…

"Unfortunately, no, there isn't. But you can stay here for the night and I can—"

"I'm sorry Dr. Cullen but I can't. My dad will only be angrier with me if I don't come home. And it's best if I leave now," She mentioned as she got up as best as possible without getting hurt. Limping towards the door, she shot a small smile towards me. "Thank you very much Carlisle. I'm sorry for what you had to see. And thank you for not telling anyone," She mentioned before limping out of my office.

Running up to catch her, I grabbed her shoulder softly, hoping not to hurt her and she turned around. "Bella, you can't go back to your house. It could be very dangerous."

"Carlisle, I have to go back. And besides, you don't know me very well. It just doesn't feel right to ask anything from all of you," She answered sadly. Unfortunately, she was right. We didn't know much about her and now, I was asking her to come and stay with us. Alice would be thrilled but… what about everyone else? "And I'm sorry but we're going to have to lie. The rest of your family is probably going to ask many questions."

Sighing, I closed my eyes for a split second and opened them again to see her saddened face. "I'm afraid so. Why don't we go and face the music?" I asked before we both walked slowly into the family room and saw everyone besides Rosalie—where had she gone now?—sitting in the living room, waiting for us. They rose when the say us coming in.

"So? What's the verdict?" Alice asked me worriedly.

"It's nothing more than a problem in her leg that has been occurring often these past few days. It should heal in the next few hours or days," I lied. It didn't feel right but I had given my doctor's oath to Bella not to say anything.

"I told you," Bella bragged uncomfortably. Alice sighed and came to stand beside her friend. Unfortunately, Edward noticed something and gasped.

"What happened to your face?!" He almost screeched. Looking at Bella's face, I saw the dark bruises under the makeup from the crying. Oh no! We hadn't covered them up. She's been so occupied in leaving that we hadn't covered any of her bruises. This would take a lot of explaining. Esme looked at me worriedly, thinking that I did that to her.

"It's not your husband's fault," Bella told my wife as Edward's horrified face went to me. His eyes asked me to tell him what was going on but I just shook my head. No one could know.

"Bella, what's going on?" Alice asked her friend, taking a firm hold on her shoulders. Luckily, Bella hadn't been hurt there so she didn't flinch at my daughter's touch.

"I… I can't tell you Alice. I'm sorry but I have to go," Bella removed herself from Alice's hold and limped towards the door but Edward blocked her path. She didn't like it. "Edward, please move out of the way," Bella asked but my son didn't step out of the way.

"Not until you tell us what's going on," Edward demanded.

"I can't Edward. Now please move." At least she's still polite about it. It was still wrong for Bella to keep this a secret but, she had her purposes for keeping everyone in the dark. "Edward, please."

"Bella, what's going on?! You're freaking me out!" Alice replied sadly, tears almost coming to her beautiful green eyes.

"Alice, I'm sorry but—"

"Bella, tell us the truth," Esme said with only worry and sadness. Bella sighed and held only anger and pain in her eyes.

"You want to know? Fine!" She lifted her shirt and everyone saw the purple bruises forming Bella's stomach. When everyone had a good look at it, she replaced her shirt correctly and looked at all of them with sadness. "You wanted me to demonstrate my piano skills. Well, this one song would explain everything." Bella limped over to the piano and started playing a song.

**Bella's Point of View**

I started to play 'Because of You' by _Kelly Clarkson_ and all the emotions held inside were unleashed. Every single time Charlie hit me… the funeral for my mother… the anger in Charlie's eyes whenever he was drunk… everything I had to give up… All of those things came to me when the song started playing.

No one interrupted me when I was singing and playing. God… what would they think of me now? Nothing seemed to fit anymore. Nothing felt right. It explained very well in the song that I was ashamed of my life because it's empty. And it's true. I don't have a mom anymore, no friends... no loving father. I don't know how to let anyone else in anymore, because of Charlie.

When the song ended, a tear slid down my face and fell on the keys. No one spoke. Not one sound was made. They hated me. "This is why you wouldn't let me in…" Alice realised sadly, a small sniffle escaping her lips.

"Yes," I muttered softly, forcing myself not to look at them.

"Why didn't you tell us something was up?" Edward asked sadly. Huh. I thought he didn't care that much. Or maybe he's just putting up an act.

"I couldn't. And I wasn't supposed to. You don't know how much I had to give up." My voice was slowly caving, each word almost forced out of my mouth.

"Bella, who's been doing this to you? We can help you," Esme answered and a small scoff escaped my lips involuntarily. They would try to protect me, but at what cost?

Getting up, I slowly limped towards the door and finally spoke up for the first time in years. "You can't protect me from my own father. No one can." And then I walked out of their house, leaving them stunned and speechless. Getting in my truck, I drove off just as Edward was running out of the house and calling my name. But I was already gone. They couldn't help me. No one could. And tonight, I'd probably receive a horrible beating that would enable me to go to school tomorrow.

Looking at the clock on the dash, it read eight twenty-eight. Had it really been that long that I'd been in the Cullen house? It didn't feel like it took two hours to eat, get Dr. Cullen to look at my injuries and almost tell them about my whole life? But they knew, and that was dangerous.

Arriving home, I parked my car, took a deep breath and walked into the house. "Finally home, worthless bitch!" Charlie slurred. Oh god… he was drunk. This was going to be a long night. Just as I entered the living room, something collided with my stomach, which made me double over in pain. Looking down, my eyes detected an empty broken beer bottle. Oh god…

"Yes sir… I'm home," I whispered in pain, hurt by his words. He'd never called me _that_ before. Ok, trash is fine but… bitch?

"Then get your fat ass over here! You're going to pay for leaving me alone tonight!" He screeched at me, ushering me into the living room. Gulping, I forced myself to walk towards Charlie, who had been sitting in the living room with three empty beer bottles and one half emptied in his hand. Oh dear lord… He was _so_ drunk! I'm in it for tonight…

Closing my eyes, I braced my body for the blows but didn't expect Charlie to grab an empty beer bottle and swung directly at my face, forcing me to fall to the side and hitting my head on the table, letting the darkness engulf me.

**Charlie's Point of View**

Damn it! I'd have to call the school tomorrow.

After the senseless beating, that stupid Isabella was lying on the living room floor, bleeding and battered into unconsciousness. Swaying a little from the alcohol, I went to bed, leaving that horrible daughter of mine on the floor in her heap of blood and bruises.

What did I do to deserve such a terrible and heartless daughter?

**So what did you think? REVIEW PLEASE!!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

21


	6. Affections

**Alright everyone, you know the drill. READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 5

Affections

**Edward's Point of View**

I can't believe what she had told us last night… Bella had left us speechless for hours. I'd tried to get to her and stop her from going home but she just drove off. And I didn't know where she lived either, so that didn't help. Alice's perky expression had never returned that night. Rosalie hadn't been there to hear Bella reveal what her father did to her and frankly, she didn't care about Bella. Rose had gone to meet Emmett at the movies and now, she was dating the guy. Fun… Not that I had anything against him but she could have stayed. Mom and Dad hardly talked to anyone. Mom had apologized to Dad for thinking that he had hurt Bella and he just forgave her that easily. But Dad seemed distant; like he was afraid Bella would get hurt even worse.

And I was silent. Seeing Bella bruised and in pain had been horrifying. All the feelings I had towards her just increased. I _needed_ to protect her now, more than ever.

Today in English class, Bella didn't show up. At first, Alice and I thought that she was just a little late like yesterday but after the first half hour, we figured something was up but brushed it off. When the bell rang and Bella still wasn't here, Alice and I looked at each other worriedly and stayed after the bell.

"What do you think happened to her?" Alice whispered to me after people had started leaving.

"Don't know. Do you think…?" I couldn't finish that sentence. It was too painful. She couldn't be hurt badly enough to not attend school… could she?

"No. She can't be. She can't…" Alice mumbled to herself while we exited the classroom. Horrible as it is to believe, Charlie might have hurt an angel. "Someone should go check up on her. I'm worried."

"Same here, but do you have her address or phone number? I doubt the secretary will just give it to us for no reason," I admitted as we approached our lockers. "Can't believe Bella's not in school…"

"You mean Isabella Swan?" A soft female voice from behind us replied. Both my sister and I turned around to find a girl about our age with long light brown hair, a sweet face and a pair of glasses reflecting her light brown hair. "Mr. Banner told us that she would be out sick today and wouldn't be in for today right before class started."

"Now, why would he tell your class? She's only in his fourth hour class," Alice explained confusingly. Frankly, it made me wonder who knew about Bella's sudden 'sick day'.

"Frankly, he seemed a little mad that she missed today. She's been missing many days for about a year," The girl answered. "By the way, I'm Angela."

"Do you know anything about this?" I asked her, wondering if she could, by any chance, give us any more information about Bella.

"Not really. We never talked. She usually pushes anyone away from her," Angela answered sadly. Alice and I looked at each other sceptically and wondered how long Bella had been pushing people away from her. She told us last night that she had to give up a lot of things in her life. Just how much? "I'm sorry I can't be anymore help. But if you're planning on visiting her, can you tell her that I hope she gets better?" She asked before walking away with a slight smile. Well, it seemed like someone wanted to be Bella's friend besides us.

When Angela was out of sight, Alice whispered to me: "What do you think we should do?"

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm going to the secretary's office to get Bella's address and phone number. If calling her doesn't work, then I'm going over there, no matter what," I explained with the most serious look on my face. No matter what, I will make sure Bella's alright.

"Are you sure she'll give them to you?"

"Trust me, I'll make something up. It's just… something doesn't feel right," I said while walking over towards the main office with Alice by my side. We were both determined and nothing could stop us.

When we arrived there, Mrs. Cope the secretary smiled a very warm and friendly smile at us before asking: "Hi there, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like to have Isabella Swan's address and phone number, just so we can make sure she's alright and if she needs something," I explained, which wasn't exactly a lie. Bella might be badly hurt and we were just standing there, talking to this secretary.

"You know, just like friends would. She just forgot to give us her number," Alice continued with a sweet smile.

"Well, we're not supposed to give this kind of information out but…" Mrs. Cope was hesitating slightly. Not good.

"We're only making sure she doesn't need anything. We could leave on our lunch break and bring her some soup or something. I'm sure her father's pretty busy with work," Alice mentioned. Did Bella's father even work, other than beating his daughter? Quite the mystery. "Please?"

Mrs. Cope looked at us questioningly before writing down the information we needed and handed it to us with a slight smile. "Thank you!" Alice said right before the bell rang. Damn! We'd have to wait an hour.

"You better run off to class now. Wouldn't want you to be late," Mrs. Cope said and we walked away towards our next class. Both of us were upset that the phone call would have to wait but it can't be stopped. If we skipped class, then it would rouse suspicion and the secretary would probably have to take drastic measures. Unfortunately, we still went to class.

But as soon as classes were over, Alice and I went somewhere quiet and made the call.

**Bella's Point of View**

_Ring… … … Ring… … … Ring… … … Ring… … … _

Where was that sound coming from? My mind was so filled with pain that the ringing was bearable. Lifting my heavy eyelids, my vision was blurry. But I found myself in the living room. What was I doing here?

Suddenly, memories flooded my mind with events from yesterday.

The Cullen house… the awkward dinner with them… Alice and Edward picking on me… Carlisle looking at my injuries… telling the others… coming home to a drunken Charlie… getting beaten into unconsciousness… But just as the memories became more vivid, searing pain shot through me, making it almost impossible to think. The ringing stopped and the answering machine picked up.

"_Bella, it's Edward. Just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright. Um… I'll call later. Hope you feel better,_" And then, the machine shut off and my mind went fuzzy with pain and numbness. Never had Charlie beaten me this badly before. What had I done to deserve such a life? Edward probably didn't even want to call. He just took pity on me for what he saw yesterday. Like I need any of that. Dark spots clouded my vision as I muttered Edward's name and fell back into unconsciousness.

**Edward's Point of View**

This is bad. Bella didn't answer the phone, which meant that she could be badly hurt. Alice had looked worried during the call and now that she knew I got the answering machine, her mind went into panic mode. And frankly, so did mine.

"I'm going to see if she's alright," I answered while going towards the parking lot with my sister behind me.

"Wait," Alice said and made me stop to spin around and face her. She looked so much younger now with her sad expression. Her face looked like it had lost five or six years of her life, making her look like a ten year old. She handed me Mom's cell phone as she spoke. "I don't know Bella that much but… I took Mom's cell without asking. If Bella needs to call you, just tell her that your number's on speed dial, number two," She explained before I took the phone. Giving her a big hug, I took off in my Volvo and tried to find Bella's house.

After a few minutes of searching, I came upon a big two story black and white house with only a one car garage, a large tree on the front yard and many windows. Seems like a cute little house, if it weren't filled with dark memories. Bella's red truck stood in front of the garage, showing that she hadn't left the house with it. That was a good sign. Now, hoping the door was unlocked.

Parking my Volvo in front of the curb, I got out and walked over to the front door. What would I see inside? Everything normal and Bella was actually sick? Maybe. But what if she was badly hurt and needed my dad's help? He couldn't come here. Dad had to work. If Bella needed help, I'd call my dad and ask him what to do. But what if Bella's dad was there? That was a definite possibly. I didn't know who her dad was or what he did for a living. But the answering machine did say that I had reached the home of Chief of Police Charlie Swan. Bella's name hadn't been mentioned. Her father had taken her voice out, probably.

No matter, I had to make sure Bella was alright. A part of my heart was attracted to her in the most affectionate way. Taking a deep breath, my hand reached for the doorknob and turned. The door opened immediately, revealing a beautiful hallway. Okay, how lucky was that? Taking one step inside, I closed the door immediately behind me and looked around. The kitchen looked fine, actually clean, except for the plates in the sink that hadn't been cleaned. Unfortunately, the feeling that no one was here sent chills up my spine. It looked like one of those horror movies that showed a poor innocent kid stepping into the house and never coming out. I'm not into those kinds of movies but other kids told me about them.

Okay, so the left side of the house was perfect. No one in sight. On my right was the living room. For a small house, they had a large living room. A large flat screen, many couches and seats, even a few desks. But what caught my eye was the person on the floor sprawled in an unnatural position. Flocks of brown hair told me that it was her, the person I had been looking for. "Bella!" I screamed, running to her. The sight in front of me was so horrifying.

She looked even worse than yesterday: fresh cuts on her forehead and face, a busted lip and black eye, blood running down her arms and legs, her T-Shirt torn at the bottom showed black bruises on her stomach. There was blood on the floor protruding from her head. But there was also blood on the corner of the table, meaning she probably hit her head there.

And she wasn't waking up. Not good. "Bella? Can you hear me? Bella?" She twitched but other than that, she didn't show any sign of life. Running to the kitchen, I searched every shelf and cupboard for a hand towel and placed it under the faucet. Running some water onto it, I squeezed the remaining water and rushed to Bella, who I turned onto her back and pressed the tower to her forehead, away from her cuts.

When pressing against her forehead, Bella winced and opened her eyes slowly but painfully. "Edward?" She asked weakly, trying to find me even though Bella was staring at me. She must not have a clear vision.

"I'm here Hun; it's going to be alright."

She chuckled softly but winced at the movement. "Hun? Ha… That's a new one…" Oh, so she was conscious enough to notice my calling her Hun?! But I still smiled and pressed the cool cloth to her face, trying to clean most of her wounds. She must want a comfortable bed right now.

"Bella, I'm going to pick you up and put you in your bed. Is that alright?" I asked her, trying to see if Bella would protest. But she tried to nod, only to gasp in pain afterwards from her head injury. Her breathing was very shallow and wheezy, indication some broken ribs. How hard had her father beaten her?

I picked her up as delicately as possible—apparently, it wasn't delicate enough since she gasped and her body went limp in my arms—and carried her up the stairs. "On the left…" Bella mumbled and I followed her directions that led straight through her room.

When entering, I looked around before placing Bella on the small bed. Her room was nice; a small bed with purple bed sheets; one dresser in the corner under a wall of pictures; a desk with nothing on it, only a stack of blank papers and pencils and a small closet opened, revealing a stack of long sleeved shirts. It didn't seem like Bella owned anything electronic. Did her father ban her from having any?

When placing Bella on the bed, she winced but opened her eyes. I placed the cloth back on her forehead and started talking to her, trying to keep her conscious. "How are you feeling?"

She chuckled, winced again and said: "I've felt better… Why did you come here…?" She asked weakly, eyeing me with the most saddened eyes. Suddenly, my phone started to vibrate, indicating I got a text message.

"One second," I said as I opened the phone and read the message.

**From: Alice**

**To: Edward**

**How is she?**

I sighed, looked at Bella—who had now closed her eyes and breathed in heavily—and replied back to my little sister, who was probably close to going back to class.

**From: Edward**

**To: Alice**

**It's bad.**

Unfortunately, Alice wouldn't be able to text me back without getting in trouble from the teachers. Placing the phone back in my pants, I grabbed the blanket at the end of Bella's bed and placed it on top of her to keep her warm. "Bella, I just came here to help you. And you obviously need it. Please let us help you," I answered, cupping my hand on her face, trying to soothe her. She opened her brown eyes and they glistened with tears. An angel like this shouldn't shed tears. Wait… did I just think Bella Swan was an angel? Sure, she's extremely beautiful under all the bruises—wait, she's extremely beautiful even _with_ the bruises!—and her voice sang to me when she spoke.

Was I starting to have feelings for Bella?

Bella hesitated for one second and started speaking. "Last night was bad… He was drunk… He... Charlie called me a worthless bitch… and then told me… to get my fat ass… in the living room… that's when it started… He hit me with… a broken beer bottle and… I was out cold… I—I don't remember much after that…" She croaked, trying to give me as much information as possible. Bella needed help. She couldn't stay here anymore, unless she had a death wish.

"Bella, you're badly hurt. I'm going to call my dad and try to help you, alright?" She nodded but gasped once again in pain. How badly did she hurt her head? It sounded like she hurt it pretty hard, which is why it was making it hard for her to do any movement.

Getting my phone out of my pocket again, I walked to the corner of the room and dialed my father's cell phone number. He picked up on the third ring. "_Yes son, what's the matter?_"

"Bella wasn't at school today, so I went to her house and found her badly hurt. She has many cuts and bruises, possibly some broken ribs and possibly a concussion. She can't move her head without it hurting her. What should I do?" I asked, hoping Dad could help me from the phone line.

"_Well, you need to keep her head leveled if she does have a concussion. And her father can't know that you were over today because Bella would probably suffer the consequences. As for the cuts, you're going to need to wipe those so they don't get infected. For the bruises, there's not much we can do to help those. You'd need to have a special cream, and I only have them at the hospital. If she has any broken ribs, you will need to tape them so she can breathe easily. Other than those things, there's not much you can do. Ask her if she's willing to come to the hospital so I can look at her,_" Dad explained and I placed the speaker of my phone to my shoulder and looked at Bella.

"Bella, would you be willing to go to the hospital so my dad can look you over?" I asked her soothingly.

She took one deep breath and said: "No hospitals… Charlie would know…" and I placed the phone back to my ear.

"She says no. Is there some way you can come at her house? It would be much easier and her father wouldn't have to know."

"_Unfortunately, I have too much work on my plate at the moment to come over but I could try and get off work sooner and come see her,_" Dad explained, which made me smile. At least he was being kind towards Bella, after everything that happened last night. "_Sorry son, but it's the best I can do._"

"Well, if it's all you can do, that's fine."

"_I better get going son. When you're done helping Bella with her wounds, you should go back to school. We don't want you to miss out on anything,_" Dad said.

"Alright dad, I'll go back to school. Bye." And then he hung up. There was no way I could disappoint my own father. He'd be upset with me afterwards. But I had a bad feeling about leaving Bella alone in this house.

I went back to Bella and saw that she had her eyes open and stared right at me. "Why are you all helping me so much…? I don't want your pity…" Bella admitted and that made my heart clench. We didn't pity her. All my family wanted to do was to help her get away from this life.

"Bella, we don't pity you. All we want to do is help you. And there's no way we're going to let you suffer any longer." And my little speech made me remember the cell phone Alice gave me before coming here. Fishing it out of my pocket, I handed it to Bella and she took it with a shaky hand. "Alice wanted me to give you this, in case you needed help. She's worried about you," I said and Bella smiled. She never had any friends. And having Alice and I beside her gave her spirit a boost. "By the way, a girl named Angela wanted me to tell you that she hopes you get better. See? There are people that want to be your friend."

Bella smiled at that and I started to treat her wounds. It took a while and Bella drifted in and out of consciousness but around one o'clock, I'd helped most of her wounds and gave her head a little leverage with the pillows. I'd taped her ribs and cleaned her cuts, which she gasped in pain many times when I touched her forehead. That's probably where it hurt most. But Bella didn't complain. She was strong.

I took out my phone and texted Alice. She'd be out of class in about five minutes, which gave me enough time to text her and tell her I'd be going back to school because of Dad.

**From: Edward**

**To: Alice**

**I'm coming back 2 school. Dad doesn't want me to miss school and Bella's alright. **

Pressing the send button, I looked at Bella and took a deep breath. At least Bella was safe for now and her wounds were clean. By the look of peace on her face, it looked like she felt better. "Thanks Edward…" She mumbled with a forced smile. I smiled back at the angel lying there.

"No problem. I have to go back to school but…" I hesitated, took her hand and looked into her brown eyes. "Promise you'll call if you need anything? My number's on speed dial number two. Please call if _anything_ goes wrong," I pleaded and she nodded her head slightly.

I removed my hand from hers and walked towards the door when she said: "Thanks for caring Edward… Tell that to Alice too…" and that made me smile. She was letting us in. Bella wouldn't let us out of her life.

But when I left, that horrible feeling returned. What was it telling me?

**REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!! PLEASE!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

15


	7. The final straw

**So here's the next chapter. Hope you like it and hope you have a wonderful Easter break! READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 6

The final straw

**Bella's Point of View**

Edward had helped me so much. He'd cleaned my wounds, taped my ribs and stayed with me when I was unconscious. I don't know how long he was there but it helped immensely. He didn't seem to mind the fact that I was completely bruised up and bleeding. Edward still helped me and that made me the happiest girl in this house. I can't really say that I'm the happiest person in the world because that would be a big fat lie.

Maybe this happiness would last.

Alright, my emotional state was great but my physical state… not so much. Every single step I took was like a knife being plunged into my body. And a gasp escaped my lips with every step as I made my way downstairs slowly to make Charlie his dinner. Maybe tonight he would take pity on me for being so bruised up.

As Charlie came inside the house, that just proved that my hope was nothing more than a simple thought.

My dreams would never happen. They were simply dreams.

As my father entered the house, his expression seemed calm and thoughtful. Not good. This meant I couldn't tell what he was up to. Charlie's like an open book, like my mother used to say. He went up to the kitchen counter, looked at the answering machine and saw the red light. Ah damn it!

He looked at me angrily and thoughtfully as he pressed the 'read messages' button. "_You have one new message. Message One: __Bella, it's Edward. Just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright. Um… I'll call later. Hope you feel better. End of messages. Press—_" But the answering message didn't get to finish speaking. Charlie had already deleted the message and looked at me with daggers. Oh god… I completely forgot that Edward had called. My mind had been so out of focus that it was hard to concentrate on anything.

Charlie approached me horrifyingly and glared at me. "Who is this Edward?" He growled, extremely angry at me.

"Um… no one sir. Just some boy at school," I mumbled while backing up. Oh god… he was going to kill me for sure tonight!

He slapped me across the face with the back of his hand and screamed: "Lying bitch! You told someone, didn't you?!" When he didn't get an answer, he slapped me once more and asked again. "DID YOU?!"

"No sir…" I muttered, lying to him. Yes, I'd 'told' the Cullens but not directly.

"You know, today, I've realized something," He said mostly to himself. Oh no… when Charlie started mumbling to himself, that meant he usually needed a punching bag, which was me. "I need to have a normal life, and right now, I'm not having one. And do you know why, you filthy piece of trash?" Charlie turned a ferocious gaze on me and that made me gulp. This wasn't starting off well. "Because you're still alive!" He punched me in the stomach with as much force as he could, making me double over in pain and gasp. Luckily, Charlie didn't do anything but walk around me. "You're nothing useful now. Only a hateful reminder of what happened eight years ago. You only remind me of my dead wife!" A kick to my face made me spit blood from my mouth. Ugh… What else could go wrong in my life? "I've had it with you! You deserve to die! You have nothing to live for. This is the final straw. I can't take it anymore with your constant whining and complaints! And besides, who would want to have such a slut in their house?! Not me!" He roared as Charlie went to the counter and grabbed something shiny.

Oh god… a knife. My own father would never hurt their daughter like that… would he?

"You better take a good look, girl, 'cause this is your last day alive," Charlie said before plunging the knife in the farthest corner of my stomach. Thankfully, he didn't puncture any lungs or I would be bleeding to death.

After that stab, the horrible beating began. Charlie seemed to be happy about punching and kicking me nonstop. Often, he would kick me in the sides until many cracks could be heard, indicating he'd broken many ribs. Sometimes, he'd drop down, grab my neck and lift me up so he could punch me numerous times. And, when he was done punching me, he'd grab the knife once more and cut me on the arms, face and chest. What more could he do? And unfortunately, I was still conscious during the whole period.

But I spoke too soon.

Once he was done with the cutting and beating, he slammed my head against the counter so many times that I let the darkness invite me in. This was it. This was the last time that the world would have to put up with Isabella Swan.

* * *

The darkness seemed to fade around me and a fuzzy light was replaced. But as the lightness came, so did the pain? Wasn't I supposed to be dead? Damn it. I guess Charlie didn't finish the job well enough. But what was even worse was that he would probably return if he saw me alive. But… there was no sound in the house besides the beating of my weak heart and the searing pain in my body that made me gasp in pain.

Maybe if I got away from Charlie, he wouldn't be able to hurt me. Charlie couldn't get to me if he didn't know where I was.

Even through the fog in my mind, I remembered the fact that Edward had given me a phone. "_My number's on speed dial number … … … . Please call if anything goes wrong,_" He had told me. Oh god! What number did he tell me his speed dial was on?!

_Number… … Number… … Number… two!_

I finally remember!

But where was that phone? I know I put it in… my back pocket! While trying to see where I was, my vision went in and out of focus. Once it became focused, it showed that I was sprawled in the kitchen, leaning against the lowest cupboards. My stomach was bleeding still and that made me wonder… How long have I been bleeding? And how long would I last? Not very long probably.

Trying to move the slightest hurt like hell. Every part of my body felt like it was burning alive. Charlie had tried to end my life, it didn't work out and now, I was facing the consequences of his actions. It was pretty much the consequence of living. Period.

I pushed away the searing pain and grabbed the mobile in my back pocket. But as I flipped it open with shaky hands, my vision started to fade. And my strength was fading fast. I had to call Edward now before it was too late. Placing my free hand on my stomach to stop the bleeding as much as possible, I pressed the buttons shakily and missed the first few times. On the fourth try, I was able to call Edward and he answered with that angelic voice of his on the third ring.

"_Hello? Bella?_" I heard him say but my strength was fading too quickly, making me almost lose my grip on the cell phone.

"Edward…" I mumbled as my fingers became like jelly, making it hard to hold onto anything, much less my consciousness.

"_Bella? Can you hear me? Bella! Are you alright?!_" He practically screamed into the phone.

"I'm sorry…" was all I said before I lost consciousness and the phone dropped beside me somewhere. I was dying and Edward couldn't do anything about it.

**Edward's Point of View**

I'd been worried all day about Bella.

Dad had told me to leave for school and that meant to leave her all alone in a house with a crazed man known as her father. Just the thought that that man was going to come home and… hurt Bella. God! This was so frustrating! There was nothing we can do at the moment for her! UGH!

But my anger diminished completely when my phone vibrated. Taking it out, I checked the caller ID and saw that it was Mom's cell. But I'd given Bella my mother's phone. Oh no…

"Hello? Bella?" I asked as Alice came in the room with a questioning look on her face.

"_Edward…_" Bella practically whispered on the other line. God… she didn't sound very strong. I looked at my watch and the time read seven thirty-six. Her father was probably home. Damn it!

"Bella? Can you hear me?" I asked and when there was no answer, my panic started to rise. Alice came to my side and looked extremely worried. She shouldn't have to witness this. When Bella didn't answer, I asked again: "Bella! Are you alright?!" I practically pleaded and screamed but still no answer for a while.

"_I'm sorry…_" She mumbled before I heard a metal crash. The phone. It fell from her hands.

"Hello? Bella? Bella!" I screamed into the phone but there was no answer, only silence. "Damn it!" I growled while shutting the phone.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Alice asked while I ran towards my father's study and didn't answer her. But my sister didn't ponder any further. Once entering the study, Dad looked up but I didn't let him speak. "I need you to come with me to Bella's house. I think she's badly hurt," I explained and he just got up and followed me towards the entrance.

"I'm coming too," Alice argued as we grabbed our coats and was headed towards the cars but stopped when she said that.

"Alice, it might be dangerous. It's best if you stay here with your mother," Dad explained softly. Alice was going to keep arguing but thought best of it. Suddenly, Mom came in with the same questioning look Alice had before and approached her husband.

"What's going on?" Mom asked.

Dad placed his arm on Mom's waist and looked into her eyes. "Bella's in trouble. We're going to help her." And then, he went close to her ear and whispered something inaudible before Mom nodded and went towards Alice. Rosalie had gone to see Emmett for a first date and didn't even know what was going on. But there was no time to call her and fill her in.

"Bring her back safely," Mom said before Dad and I left and got into my car before driving away towards Bella's house.

"What did you tell Mom before we left?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. We were close to Bella's house but would we get to her in time? I couldn't think like that.

"I told her to get Alice somewhere else in the house when we bring Bella back home. She's too young to see something so gruesome," Dad explained and I completely agreed with him. Even if Alice was sixteen, it's not something you want to see.

We arrived at Bella's house just minutes after out little talk and already the atmosphere seemed off. Almost… evil. Her father's police car wasn't in the driveway, indicating that Charlie probably fled right after beating her. But if we didn't get Bella out of there soon, he'd probably hurt her when he came back. The front door was slightly opened and the air around us seemed to change as we exited my Volvo.

"Dad, we've got to save her. She can't stay here," I said as we approached the small house. Dad had brought his medical kit with him in case he would have to help Bella with her injuries.

"We'll do our best, son. And it will be her choice if she wants to stay with us. I will not force her to do anything," Dad said and we entered the small house. It didn't take long until we could smell the faint smell of blood. It came from the left side of the house. The kitchen. Oh god… who knows what Charlie could have used in the kitchen? I took a deep breath and was about to enter the kitchen when Dad placed his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't know what you'll find," He asked me softly. I nodded and he removed his hand before I entered the kitchen and gasped loudly.

There laid Bella, all bloody and bruised, sprawled against the cupboards. Her head leaned against them and her eyes were closed as she laid there in a pool of her own blood. Her hand lay against her stomach but dried blood stuck to her hand, indicating a large injury there. "Oh god… Bella!" I said, running towards her and kneeling beside the broken girl. She didn't wake up when I placed my hand on her face delicately.

Dad stood right beside me and told me to move her to the side and lay her head against my legs for leverage. It seemed like she was bleeding from the head also. Dear lord… it didn't even seem like she wasn't even breathing. "Try to get her to wake up. We don't want to risk anything. You do that while I get to work on her stomach. Her father stabbed her there…" He ordered professionally while cutting Bella's shirt slightly and started to work on stitching her stomach. That way, she wouldn't bleed to death.

"Bella? Hun, can you hear me? I'm here. You're going to be just fine," I said and felt her move a little. Great! That meant she was still alive!

"Ed… war… d…?" She answered in small breaths. At least she was still alive. Bella tried to open her eyes but they were too heavy.

"I'm here Hun, I'm here. You're going to be fine. Just stay with me, alright?"

"But… it hurts…" She muttered as she moved in my hands. But her strength was fading fast.

"I know but you have to stay with me. Dad's here looking you over. He's going to save you," I said but she unfortunately started to lose consciousness once more. "Come on Bella, stay with me. Just keep on listening to my voice, alright?"

"Alright…" She mumbled as Dad finished on stitching up her wound as fast as possible and looked at me.

"Son, we have to get her to the house. I don't think she'll want to be at the hospital and I could do a lot more work privately. We're going to have to move her," Dad explained and I nodded before turning my gaze back to Bella.

"Bella, I'm going to have to move you like this afternoon. Dad's going to help you at home. Do you mind?" She didn't seem to understand me at first but a few seconds later, she nodded. I placed my arms under her and lifted her up as gently as possible but she still gasped. "Oh god! I'm sorry Bella! We're going to help you," I said before we left the house.

We ran to the car and I placed Bella in the back seat, her head resting against my lap. She looked like her slumber wasn't peaceful at all. Blood had seeped into my clothes but that didn't matter to me. I just had to get Bella to safety. Bella's breathing had become ragged and woozy while we drove.

"Dad, we have to hurry. I don't think she has much time left," I said while brushing Bella's bloody hair out of her face. Dad didn't care about the speed limit, much less when there was a patient in the car at the moment. He drove like a maniac back to the house and we arrived in minutes. Bella had started fading slowly and I tried to keep her awake as much as possible but it was a difficulty. All she wanted to do was make the pain go away but I could never let her die.

When arriving, Dad helped me get Bella out of the car as best as possible without hurting her too much and we walked inside the house, Dad in the front. Luckily, when we entered, Esme was trying to get Alice out of the living room. But unfortunately, Alice saw Dad come in the house and protested. Dad and I hurried as fast as possible inside the house and went towards one of the three spare rooms, the one that Dad had changed into a small hospital room in case.

Hey, you never know what will happen.

"Honey, you need to stay down here," Mom called from downstairs as we heard some footsteps coming upstairs towards the room.

"No Mom, I'm going to see if Bella's alright! She's my friend and if anything happens to her, I don't know what we'll do," Alice said sadly as I placed Bella onto the small bed in the room. Dad began to put an IV in her arm and start her on a heart monitor. When it was installed, it showed that Bella's heartbeat wasn't the best and that it would fail soon if Dad didn't start working on her right away.

"But Alice, it's not—"

Mom didn't get to finish her sentence as Alice came rushing in the room and saw Bella for the first time today. She gasped and placed her hand to her mouth in utter horror. "Oh god!" She gasped and I looked at her.

"Alice, you shouldn't be—" But the most awful sound in the world stopped my thoughts.

A flat line.

**So what did you think? Will Bella survive? And how will Alice react to this? Please tell me in REVIEWS!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

13


	8. Save her

**Alright guys, so I'm a little tired from all of these midnight stayings (not used to it) and well, if the chapter's not that good… please don't hate me. And by the way, HAPPY EASTER!!! READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 7

Save her

**Edward's Point of View**

The world seemed to stop around me. Bella's heart had stopped. Dad rushed up to her and tried to get it to start once more. Mom ushered me and my weeping sister out of the room so Dad could save Bella. My mind wouldn't work. It didn't even register the fact that my mother wasn't letting me see Bella, or the fact that the girl I might be falling in love with was dying in there.

But everything came back to me when Mom shut the door and blocked our path with a tight embrace. Alice's cried were getting louder and louder as we heard the paddles shock Bella. But did it bring her back to life? "She'll be alright…" Mom mumbled into Alice's hair, trying to soothe her.

Suddenly, a door opened downstairs. "Hey, I'm—Is everything alright?" Rosalie asked, probably worried about Alice's crying. Footsteps were heard coming up the stairs and in a few seconds, Rosalie was standing in front of us. "What's the matter?"

"Bella's dying," I answered emotionless, trying to compose myself, to be strong for Bella. "Dad's trying to save her."

"But he has to save her! She can't… she can't die! Bella… she just can't!" Alice screamed before crying into her mother's shoulder. Alice should have never seen Bella like that. After all, Alice is still only sixteen. It's harder for her to see Bella on the verge of death.

"Wouldn't it have been easier if she went to the hospital?" Rose asked as if she didn't care. How could she be so heartless?! She had just been with Emmett all night and Rosalie comes home to find us crying over Bella.

"There wasn't any time! Don't you get it?! She was _dying_! And Bella's heart just stopped _right now_!" I practically screamed in her face as my younger sister cried even more.

"Edward, that's enough," Mom answered calmly, even thought there were tears in her eyes. My mother thought of Bella as more than just a girl living in Forks, or even more than Alice's friend with many problems. You could see that Mom was starting to love Bella like one of her own children after this short period of time. "Why don't you go and wait in the living room? It's more comfortable. I'll go help your father."

And with that, Mom gave Alice one last big hug and ran into the small hospital room. We caught one quick glance at Bella and saw that Dad was trying to stop the bleeding from her wounds. But it seemed like her heart had restarted. But unfortunately, Mom closed the door so fast that I didn't get to see anything else. Poor Bella… No one should have to go through all of that in just a few days. I seemed as though our arrival just made everything worse for her.

Alice stood looking at the door, more tears glistening down her tiny face. Out of all of us, it was probably Alice who was suffering deeply. Bella had tried to stay as far away as possible from my sister but to no avail. And when Bella finally started to get close to her, this happens. It's extremely hard for Alice to see her in such pain. "Come on Ali, let's go downstairs. It'll be—"

"No, I'm staying here. I'm not leaving my friend." Her tone was firm and final; there was no arguing with her about this. Placing an arm around her shoulder, I sat against the wall and she sat in between my legs and leaned her head against my chest, like she used to do so many years ago. I wrapped my arms around her as she sobbed slightly.

And we stayed like that for what felt like hours. Rosalie didn't want anything to do with that so she went to bed and slept during Dad's examination. But Alice and I just sat there and waited impatiently for Dad or Mom to bring us some news, hopefully some good news at that. We weren't able to sleep. Even though it was in the middle of the night, we couldn't sleep. There was too much stress going on at the moment. "Eddie, do you think she'll be alright?" Ali asked me after a few hours of silence in the youngest voice she ever used. My sister didn't call me Eddie often, only when she was really scared. At the sound of my nickname, my arms tightened around her in a comforting matter and started rubbing her arms gently like any good brother would.

"She'll be alright. Bella's strong. She can make it through—" But my sentence was cut off when Dad stepped out of the room, all bloody and exhausted. At the sight of him, we both stood up and walked up to him. Dad looked to have aged so much in the past few hours. It looked as though helping Bella was the toughest challenge he ever faced in his entire career.

"How is she?" Alice asked.

Dad smiled slightly and said: "It was a hard process but she's going to be just fine." Alice and I released the breath we had apparently been holding and smiled at one another. "She woke up a few hours ago and we told her to sleep. I examined her while she was asleep and she's going to need a lot of rest and time to heal, both physically and probably mentally, but she'll get through it with your help," Dad explained as he looked from me to Alice, then back to me. He kept his gaze on me for a long time. "When she woke up just a few minutes ago, Bella said she wanted to see you."

Those five words caught me off guard but also made me extremely happy. The first thing Bella wanted to do was see me when she woke up, for the second time. "Alright, we'll all go," I answered as my hand went for the handle but was stopped when Dad took my hand and looked me straight in the eyes.

"When you go in, don't just her. She's been through a lot," My father warned me.

"Why would I judge her? This wasn't even her fault," I answered back.

Dad sight and tried to compose himself. "She doesn't want you to judge her by the way she looks. Bella feels bad enough at the moment that she's afraid that all of you will hate her." Dad looked from me to my sister once more. "She blames all of this on herself."

Alice shook her head and smiled at our father. "We just need to straighten things out with her. Let's go see Bella," She answered before opening the door and walking in, only to stop a few seconds after in shock. Stepping inside, I saw what freaked Alice out so much.

Bella was sitting up—thanks to my mother—but her face was covered in bruises and scratches. A black eye started to form over her right eye and deep circles formed under her eyes, indicating her lack of sleep. Her left leg was a lump under the sheets, indicating that Dad had placed a cast or something on it. Most of her skin was already covered with tape and gauze, hiding the extent of her injuries. Once her brown eyes locked on mine, she whispered my name and bowered her head, avoiding my gaze. It's as if she didn't want me to see her like this.

"Bella!" Alice squealed as she rushed towards her friend and wrapped her arms around her carefully. My sister sobbed as Bella hesitantly wrapped her bruised arms around Alice. "You got me so worried! Are you alright?" Alice asked Bella as she placed a hand on Bella's shoulder and looked at her worriedly.

Bella closed her eyes, looked away from Alice and mumbled: "Yeah, just fine."

Ali wasn't convinces in the slightest so, I approached the two of them and sat next to her. Mom sat behind Bella to support her weight and started running her fingers through Bella's hair, trying to soothe the battered teenager. "Bella, you really scared me out there," I replied, taking one of her hands in both of mine.

"I'm sorry… I—I never meant to scare anyone. I'll leave right when—"

"Oh no! You're not going anywhere! You can stay here with us, right Mom?" Alice asked as she turned her gaze from Bella to Mom.

Mom nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Bella's shoulder. "You can stay as long as you want, sweetheart," She said before a few tears ran down Bella's face. "What's the matter, honey?"

"It's just… no one's called me those things in eight years. It's… it feels nice," Bella muttered with a forced smile and a few more tears fell down her cheeks.

I wiped the tears away from her face and smiled a crooked smile at her. "If you stay with us, you'll be hearing that a lot more often," I said to her, trying to get her to look at me.

"I… I can't do that to all of you. I mean, you just helped save a complete stranger and—" I placed a finger on her lips to shut her up and she just looked at me. Sadness was embedded in her beautiful brown eyes and that made my head clench in sadness itself. I wish there was some way that the sadness held in those brown orbs could be removed.

"Bella, we're certainly not letting you go back there. You'll get killed for sure this time. I'm not going to let that happen. Please Bella; don't make me think like that." I cupped her cheek ever so slightly as another tear fell from her face. "It was hard enough to see you barely alive. Don't make me imagine it now." Okay, that just sounded totally cheesy but, it was true that I was starting to have strong feelings for her. But I would wait until Bella was ready, _if_ she would ever want me. "Please."

Bella seemed to hesitate at first, but she sighed and looked at me. "If I start to _ever_ become too much of a burden, I'll be out of your hair," She replied and my sister wound her arms around Bella in happiness. Bella smiled and placed a hand on Alice's arm. Most of us expected Alice to release Bella but no, of course not. "Alice, I'm staying. What more do you want?" Bella asked pleasantly, no harm intended in her voice.

"I'm just so happy you're staying! And when you get better, we can go shopping!" Alice chimed in happily as she separated herself from Bella.

"Sure Alice, if that'll make you happy," Bella answered with a smile. Somehow, I knew that something was up with that girl.

"It does! Thank you Bella!" Alice said happily as she jumped up and down. Normal Alice behaviour.

"Alright, I do believe that Bella needs some rest. Today was very exhausting for her, I'm sure," Dad said as Mom squeezed herself out from behind Bella as best as possible without hurting her too much. Unfortunately, it was written all over Bella's face that it was extremely painful to move in the slightest.

"I'd like to talk to Edward, if that was alright with you, Dr. Cullen," Bella asked all too formally once again.

Dad laughed a little and said: "Of course, take as long as you need. But you need to rest afterwards."

"Of course. Thank you again," Bella said with a smile as the rest of the family said their goodbyes and exited the room, leaving us alone to talk. Looking at Bella, she was absolutely beautiful, even with all the bruises and cuts. Anyone would be lucky to have her.

**Bella's Point of View**

Now, it was just me and Edward. He looked at me with such a loving smile that it was hard to keep looking at him. What would he think of me now? I mean, he just saved me from death and it seemed like I gave him quite the scare. Great… that was the last thing I wanted to do now. Of course there was no way that they would want me to stay with them, now that they have to put up with me constantly.

"Is it just me or you don't like to shop?" Edward asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts. He always had this way of bringing me back to reality. It felt nice, almost lovingly.

Maybe it was time to tell the truth, instead of lying constantly to protect everyone. "No, I actually hate it. But it will make your sister happy. And maybe it will lessen the burden I'm bringing on all of you if I go shopping with her," I answered honestly and Edward looked at me sadly. Great… what had I done this time?

Looking away, Edward placed a finger under my chin and brought my face to look at him. "Bella, you're not a burden to anyone. In fact, everyone is thrilled to have you here. It's going to be just fine. Don't worry Bella, just focus on healing," He said and I smiled slightly. Why the hell was I so important to him?

"Will do."

"What really happened to you all these years Bella?" Edward asked, surprising me. I hadn't expected him to spring the question right now. Would I be able to tell him? And how would he react, mostly? It didn't matter anymore.

I could leave if they thought that my past was horrible. "Charlie beat me to death because I was alive. For eight years, I was a horrible reminder of my mother. He told me I deserved to die." A small chuckle erupted from my throat as I closed my eyes, looked away and couldn't bear to look back at Edward. "My own father told me that he didn't want a slut in his house before he stabbed me in the stomach with a kitchen knife. Frankly, I can't say that I deny it. Maybe some of the things he said to me was—"

"Stop it." His tone wasn't angry or disciplinary. It was just emotionless, as if he never wanted to hear any of the things I just mentioned. He placed his finger under my chin again and made me look at him once more. "Bella, you are _none_ of those things. You are a beautiful, caring, selfless woman that puts everyone above herself. Obviously, your father has never wanted to admit it but anyone would be lucky to have you in their life," He said with that crooked smile that made my heart skip a beat again. "And frankly, I want to get to know you better. As long as you are staying here with us, it's a great opportunity."

"You don't want that…"

"Actually, I do. You've intrigued me so much to the point where I _want_ to get to know you. You are such a fascinating person," Edward answered in the most sincere way. But… my heart couldn't let him in yet. After what just happened with Charlie, it seems as though a part of my trust for others has evaporated along with most of my blood. It must still be on the kitchen floor. "Bella Swan, I want to be your friend." His smile returned and it made me speechless.

"I… Edward… I don't want to force myself on any of you. It… It doesn't feel right. You've known me for just a few days and… and it seems as though I'm forcing myself on your family. In my heart, it feels wrong. And—"

"Okay, how about you get some rest so I can stop your babbling?" He asked jokingly.

A small gasp of amusing shock escaped my open mouth. "I'm not babbling! I'm trying to open up to you and you think I'm kidding!" I answered back shockingly. Was he laughing at me for some reason?

"You're babbling nonsense! Bella, if we didn't want you to stay with us, we would have said something immediately. My family and I are honest people. You were someone who needed help and we are offering it to you. Please accept it. We want to help you through everything," He answered, making a few tears escape the corner of my eyes. Someone wanted me. Someone _actually_ wanted me in their lives. Incredible…

"Alright…" was my simple reply. What else was there to say? The Cullens were giving me something that I had wanted to have for the past eight years: love, a family that loves you.

"But… can I ask you one more question before I leave and you get some rest?" He asked, pulling me back once more to reality.

"Um… sure," I said, hoping it was a question that wouldn't rip my heart out immediately. My heart couldn't take anymore rejection today.

"What happened to your mother?" It was a simple question but it was still hard to talk about her. My mother had been the most important person in my life but it still.

"She… she died, eight years ago. That's when Charlie started beating me, because I looked too much like her," I answered honestly and Edward winced a little. "How about I explain to you another day how it all started?"

"Only if you want to. I won't force you to do anything unpleasant," He answered sadly. Edward was growing on me, even more than his sister.

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything."

"Well, I better let you catch on some sleep. You need to heal fast. Alice will want to go shopping with you sooner than later."

A small chuckle escaped my lips at that. "True. Thanks for everything Edward," I answered and it seemed to please him to hear me say that, since that crooked smile returned to his lips. Oh god! I could look at that smile all day and never get bored.

"Anytime Bella, and I do mean anytime," He answered before leaving the room silently. Maybe I could learn to like Edward more. He seemed to want to do that as well.

For once in my life, I slept in peace.

**Edward's Point of View**

She'd gone through all of that in one day… God, it disgusted me to even think that Charlie did that to an angel like Bella Swan. Stepping out of the room, I saw that Dad had stayed behind. But… there was still one more question I needed to ask him. It was burning me to ask him this.

"What happened to her father?" I asked, venom coming with every word. If that man hasn't been caught or placed in jail, I would search every inch of this city—or even further—for that man to be placed in jail for life!

"I'm glad you asked. While Bella was asleep, I called the police, asking if they had caught Charlie by any chance." This was it, the moment I had waited a few hours to hear. Dad sighed and looked at me with sad eyes. Oh no… "Charlie escaped. He left his cruiser in a ditch and escaped somewhere that the police can't pinpoint at this point. I'm sorry son, but he's nowhere to be found," Dad explained and my face just fell.

Charlie was still out there. He could be anywhere, and he could come back for Bella.

**Alright, so Bella's alive and Charlie's still out there. What will happen next? FIND OUT IF YOU REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

14


	9. Word travels fast

**Alright everyone, I know I haven't updated in a while but here's a new chapter!! I've been trying to get inspiration and now, I just got it. So now, the updates will come faster and with more romance I believe. So READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 8

Word travels fast

**Bella's Point of View**

It had been a few days since I'd been at the Cullen household and tried to help around the house as much as possible. Unfortunately, Esme wouldn't let me even lift a finger to help. Not one! Frankly, I felt a little disappointed. I mean, they took me in to avoid confronting my abusive father but… by just sitting around, I just felt like an even bigger burden to everyone.

"Esme, please let me give you a hand," I pleaded as she made lunch for the both of us. Every day, Edward's mother had a smile on her face as she helped me around the house. Since I could barely walk now, Esme helped me out in the best ways possible.

"No need Bella, you're supposed to be resting. And besides, lunch is served," Esme answered while she brought over the grilled cheese sandwiches and soup on a platter. It made me feel horrible to know that she had to do everything for me. "Dig in Bella. Your food will get cold," She said, snapping me out of my guilt. Esme noticed that I had spaced out once more and unfortunately, she knew what came after this. "Bella—"

"I'm really sorry for making you do everything. And I never meant for this to happen," I said, and saw that Esme sighed in exasperation. We'd been over this over and over but it just didn't feel right to take these people for advantage.

"Bella, we've been over this. We're not going to let you go back to that horrible father of yours. No one could have stopped this. And we will most definitely keep you away from that horrible man," Esme said, making me look away from her. It was so sad to see that someone wanted to sacrifice themselves just to keep me from harm's way.

"Thank you," I muttered with a slight smile. Esme placed a hand on my arm and smiled at me.

"You're very welcome. Now, how about you tell me a few things about yourself?" She asked before taking a bite of her grilled cheese sandwich. Taking a sip of the soup, a warm feeling has appeared in my heart. It tasted so good! Like nothing I've ever tasted before. Once again, warm memories filled my mind, such as the recitals I used to go so many years ago, when Mom was in the front row, cheering me on. It felt so nice to have her there by my side all those years ago, helping me with the piano. "Bella?" Esme asked me, snapping me out of my beautiful thoughts.

"Um… I'm sorry, what did you say? I was too caught up in the delicious taste of your soup. It's fantastic!" I complimented with a smile. She laughed a motherly laugh and smiled at me with those emerald eyes, just like her son's.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. Now, please tell me about yourself," She asked once again.

"Well, I've lived in Forks my whole life, Mom taught me how to play the piano when I was only five years old, and… well there's not much to me."

"Well, have you thought about playing the piano in the future? You would be a great musician in the future."

"Thank you but…"

"What's the matter?" She asked worriedly, since I didn't finish my sentence.

A small chuckle erupted from my throat. It was a little ironic that, in all the years of hiding my secrets from everyone, I could confide my dreams and goals to this woman. "I've always wanted to write my own songs and perform them in front of everyone. But… I don't think that's going to happen." My voice descended immensely at the end of my sentence and I decided to take a bite of my sandwich to avoid any looks from Esme.

"And why not? It's a great idea!" She assured me with a large smile.

"Well, I was thinking, with the money I had saved up all these years, maybe I would go buy a laptop and a small piano. Something like that," I told her honestly before finishing the lovely food.

"Whenever you would like to go, I'll come along, if you'd like. And please save your money. We'll just buy whatever you need and—"

"Oh no, that's quite alright. I'd rather pay with my own money than have someone pay for something really expensive like that. I've got a few hundred or thousand dollars left over. It'll be fine. But thank you for everything. I really appreciate it," I said before shining her one of the best smiles I could come up with and went back to the silence in the room.

We had finished our meals and Esme went to do some cleaning in the rooms, which was hard to do. The place was so spotless! I stayed downstairs and tried to read _Wuthering Heights_, one of my favourite literature books. Unfortunately, my eyes darted to the piano. It seemed so… lonely. Yeah, I'm nuts when it comes to pianos. It seemed as though I could feel them. Okay, maybe I was just nuts in general. It wouldn't be surprising, especially after living with Charlie after all of these years. Getting up slowly, my leg still in a cast, I walked over to the piano, just running my fingers across the beautiful keys.

Maybe I would like living here for some time. Hopefully, I wouldn't be a bother to anyone. And hopefully, Charlie wouldn't find me any time soon.

**Edward's Point of View**

We had to go to school today. Mom wouldn't let any of us miss school and unfortunately, it was Monday. Yeah, Mondays really suck for everyone. Bella had stayed over this weekend and seemed to try to work around the house. Of course Mom wouldn't let her but she still tried. Stubborn Bella. As if she hadn't been through so much already.

And unfortunately, at school, everyone was different.

Word gets around pretty fast in Forks. A lot of gossip was going around, mostly about Bella. Most people had been asking if Charlie had really beaten Bella to death. Others were trying to see if Bella was lying just to get attention.

"I can't believe these people…" Alice muttered to herself at the lunch table. Everyone was sitting around speechless. Emmett and Jasper had heard what happened a few days ago with Bella and still couldn't believe it. Jasper tried to comfort Alice a little—yeah, my sister was still a little upset about everything that Charlie had done to her friend but was getting better at controlling her anger towards the man—but she still felt angry. Rosalie was… well Rosalie. She didn't care about much, other than herself. It really aggravated me to know that she hardly cared about what happened to Bella. It's not like Bella could have prevented this! "They'll believe anything they hear! I mean, Tanya asked me if Bella had beaten _herself_ just to get some attention from others."

"What'd you say to that?" I asked curiously, hoping that Alice had told her off.

"I didn't know what _to_ say! How in the world can one person beat herself _that badly_ just to get some _attention_?! It's just… ugh!" Alice finally said while putting her head in her hands furiously. "I just left her there, trying to ignore what she said."

"Guess that didn't work…" Rosalie muttered and that officially threw me off.

"Rosalie, I know you don't like Bella but you could show a _little_ kindness towards her. She has just went through so much and you're acting like a selfish brat who thinks only of herself!" I practically screamed at her. Rosalie looked at me incredulously but never left my gaze.

"She shouldn't even be at the house. What she needs is a hospital. We don't need to keep her around. It's just bothering our lives," Rose said, practically making my mouth drop. How could she be so selfish?! And it's surprising that she would even say that in front of us. Rosalie sat up, pushed her chair aside and left the room, not bothering to tell us where she was going. Well, no matter. We didn't need her attitude right now.

"Rosalie…" Emmett whispered to himself. They had finally started dating and now, Rosalie was acting this way. Fun for him… Emmett had to put up with her.

"I _can't believe_ she said that!" Alice exclaimed incredulously. Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down with his presence and it seemed to work. Jasper and Alice were going a bit slower than Rosalie and Emmett. They were thinking about dating but never had time. But they had strong feelings for one another, that's for sure. "She's just so… so… ugh!" Again, Alice couldn't find any words to describe our sister. Frankly, I didn't either.

"I know how you feel Alice. But she's going to have to put up with Bella because she's going to stick around for a long time. No way is she going back to that man," I answered angrily. Everyone nodded and suddenly, I had a sudden urge to just leave and try to cool down. "I've got to go, I'll see you later." Getting up and leaving the cafeteria, my anger was boiling after Rosalie's hurtful words and I just needed to calm down.

Unfortunately, Bella wasn't here to calm me…

Wait, did I just think that?! Maybe I _was_ starting to have feelings for Bella. Well, it wasn't a bad thing. Bella was a wonderful person who put herself above others. She didn't even care that she had almost died. All she wanted to do was make it bearable for us to deal with her. But everyone was happy that Bella was staying with us, well except for Rosalie.

I'd have to deal with my bratty older sister later.

Just as I was walking down the hall, Angela Weber started walking towards me. "Edward, may I talk to you?" She asked sweetly, but there was a hint of worry in her voice. I nodded and walked up to her. "How are you?"

"Um… just fine?" There was more to this question and I knew it.

"Is she… Is Bella alright? I heard all of these rumours and… is it true?" She asked worriedly, placing a hand to her neck. If Angela needed to cover her mouth, it wouldn't be very far. Angela had been kind enough to try to be friends with Bella before her father had senselessly beaten her but that never happened. Now, she was making up for everything. She was trying to be a good friend, which was working very well. Gulping, I nodded and she gasped in shock. It was hard for anyone to find out about this and, from personal experience, it was hard to find someone almost beaten to death.

"She's recovering right now but… I don't think she's going to school soon," I answered and Angela looked away from me, a few tears streaking down her face. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she tried to compose herself but it was hard. Unfortunately, I didn't know what to say. She was just as upset as Alice was. "She'll be alright."

"I… I know. It's just… How could someone do that to _anyone_, much less her _father_?!" Angela blurted and closed her eyes as more tears fell down. Everything was so out of order these days. Bella's just missed so many days of school—of course Alice and Angela were gathering all the notes and homework Bella was missing—and now, the whole school was making some lame rumours that just made Bella's reputation plummet even further down. Damn these kids! "God, what will happen now?"

"She's staying at our house for the time being. Bella will never go back to that bastard and my family and I will make sure of that," I assured her and Angela smiled at me.

"That makes me feel a lot better. Thanks Edward. I know that Bella is probably really glad someone's taking care of her," Angela answered before walking away from me with a slight smile on her face. She whipped her tears away before turning the corner towards the classes. Going to my locker, I placed my forehead on the locker door and closed my eyes.

What _were_ we going to do with Bella's father? He was still out there, probably looking for her at this very moment—hopefully not. Maybe, just maybe, he was just hiding somewhere and trying to forget about Bella. It would be much better that way. But what would happen now? And… what would happen about my feelings towards Bella? Frankly, I wanted to get closer to Bella and hopefully, she would as well.

My heart wanted to get to know Isabella Swan very well.

**Rosalie's Point of View**

Just great… that girl was still going to stay with us! God damn it! I can't take much more of this! Walking out of the school, I went straight to my car, got in and drove away. Maybe missing an afternoon wouldn't be that bad. Mom wouldn't scold me _that_ bad… okay she will but it didn't matter right now. Emmett was upset with me. I've already gotten a text from him, asking where if I'm alright but I didn't answer. No one wanted me when I was like this, in this horrible mood. I wanted to go home so badly but knew that _she_ would be there when arriving. Mom would be all over her, trying to move her around. That girl was so toying with my mother's emotions. Alice was getting too attached to Bella and so was Edward. Well, he was starting to, anyways.

Driving away, I started to drive towards the house, hoping that Bella was somewhere unnoticeable, and some place where I wouldn't have to look at her bruised and ugly face. Why was everyone so attached to her? She wasn't anyone special. Unfortunately, everyone was putting up with her. But I wasn't buying any of it. Bella could act any way she wanted in front of the others up, with me, it wasn't working.

Although her past was a little sad, it didn't affect me.

And I should just tell her that straight to her face. No more wasting time with this girl.

Alright, that's it, I'm going home.

Driving faster towards home, my mind was set. Bella Swan would hear the truth from me, no matter how much it hurt the rest of my family. It was about time she stopped being a charity case for everyone around her, practically begging for someone to help her. No longer would we have to put up with Bella Swan, the bruised charity case.

I might be selfish but I'm only thinking of the welfare of my family. We needed to act normally, especially since we just moved here.

I wanted a normal life.

**God… can you believe Rosalie?! Such a bitch I know but that's how I wanted to portray her for this chapter. Trust me, the next chapter will shock you, SERIOUSLY!!! So now, all you got to do is REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	10. Problems

**Alright, sorry for the lack of update. But here's an exciting chapter. These days, I've been feeling like my head's about to explode and haven't had much time for myself. So, here's something exciting for you guys. READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 9

Problems

**Esme's Point of View**

I'd just finished cleaning up the windows when I started hearing a wonderful melody coming from downstairs. It was coming from the piano. "Bella must be composing," I said to myself and decided to go downstairs to see Bella play. It must be wonderful for her to be able to fulfil her goal in life. Her father had banned her from everything in life. Now, she wouldn't have to worry about being hurt or almost… I can't even think it. It's too horrible to think.

Walking downstairs, I started to hear some of the lyrics. But they were… sad. As I went down the stairs, the lyrics became clearer.

"_She walks to school with a lunch she packed _

_Nobody knows what she's holding back;_

_Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday,_

_She hides the bruises with the linen and lace; _

_Oh,_"

A hand flew to my mouth. I knew that song. Of course I had heard it once in my life and it made me cry for a while. But… it did seem logical—in some way—that Bella was singing that song at such a time. After the trauma that her father has inflicted on Bella, it's understandable to hear Bella sing this particular song.

"_The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask, _

_It's hard to see the pain behind the mask; _

_Bearing the burden of a secret storm, _

_Sometimes she wishes she was never born;_"

A few tears ran down my face. Oh my goodness… Did Bella really think this way? That she would rather not have been born? Just because of that horrible father of hers? Never would I have hoped that anyone wished they were never born, especially not Bella.

"_Through the wind and the rain,_

_She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above;_

_But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved. _

_Concrete Angel,_"

Walking slowly towards the living room, Bella came into view. She had a hard time pushing on the pedals because of her leg but didn't have a problem with her fingers. Her voice was magnificent but she kept her eyes closed, completely ignoring me. Her face expression indicated how much pain she had been through all of those years.

"_Somebody cries in the middle of the night,_

_The neighbours hear but they turn out the lights;_

_A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate,_

_When morning comes it will be too late._

_Through the wind and the rain, _

_She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above; _

_But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved. _

_Concrete Angel,_"

The tears flowed freely now. After all, the pain and sorrow embedded into the song was cutting at my heart. Bella… My heart wanted to protect her so much. It was unbearable to see her this way, in so much emotional pain. I wish I could just take it all away!

"_A statue stands in a shaded place,_

_An angel girl with an upturned face;_

_Her name is written on a polished rock, _

_A broken heart that the world forgot. _

_Through the wind and the rain, _

_She stands hard as a stone in a world that she can't rise above; _

_But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place where she's loved._

_Concrete Angel._"

The song had come to an end and Bella looked at the keys, barely able to look at anything or anyone. She still hadn't noticed my presence, thank god. I was crying my eyes out, trying to compose myself but the effect this song had on me—or anyone if they were here listening to her wonderful voice—was making it harder to compose one's self. Approaching her softly, the _click_ of my heels made Bella look up in shock. "Esme…" was the only word she mumbled and stared at me in horror. I couldn't say anything. It was as if the words from the song just took my breath away and made me unable to utter a word. The poor girl… She'd been through so much. It was a miracle she lasted this long. "Esme… I'm so—I'm sorry for… I didn't mean to use the piano when Edward wasn't around…" She kept mumbling but I just walked towards her, wanting to protect her as best as possible. Poor child! "I can't believe I made you cry… I'm so sorry…" Giving her a warm and caring hug, she stopped babbling and just stood there, not wrapping her arms around me. She was confused and frankly scared.

"Bella, don't apologize for _anything_. Nothing was your fault. And I do mean _nothing_. Nothing that happened din the past years was your fault. Please don't apologize. It's just…" I pulled away, looking her deep in the eyes. She seemed so confused and sadness enveloped her eyes, "your song. It moved me a lot."

"Esme…" She said, looking away from me and closing her eyes.

"Please dear, look at me." She didn't look at me so I placed a finger under her chin and slowly turned her head. A single tear fell down her bruised face as she looked deep into my green eyes. "Bella, this family loves you and wants nothing more than to protect you from that man. Please believe us when we say this. We want you to stay here," I explained and she smiled a little, trying to make me feel better. She got up slowly but mostly by herself and hugged me hard.

"Thank you so much… for giving me an opportunity to have a normal life." Her voice was filled with happiness that made me cry even more. We separated from the hug and looked at each other with a wonderful smile. Suddenly, the door opened and Rosalie stepped through the door, erasing the smile from my face.

"Hi Mom, I'm—" She was interrupted when Rosalie saw my face, all red and teary from the crying. "What's going on?!" She asked, pointing right at Bella. Unfortunately, Bella stepped back a few feet, limping away from me. Rose walked towards us and, shocking me completely, pushed Bella away from me and made her fall. "I can't believe, after all that's happened, you _dare_ to make my own mother cry! What'd you do this time? Scare her with those stories of your past?" Rosalie dared to speak like that to Bella, who had been trying to lift herself up.

"Rosalie!" I exclaimed, appalled by her sudden repulsion towards Bella.

"No, it's alright Esme. Let her finish. It seems as though Rosalie has a lot more to say to me than just that," Bella said while standing up, grabbing one of her crutches and walking over to us. She stood just a few inches from Rosalie and waited there. "What is it you'd like to say to me Rosalie? Come on, I can take it."

"You've been nothing but trouble the moment that my family laid their eyes on you. All of this stuff with your abusive father; you just dumped it all on us. And you put us all in danger because of your stupid stunt. If you wanted someone's pity, why not just go to an orphanage now or maybe just some charity case that will take you in? It'll be better on us, and much better on yourself as well," Rosalie said and Bella just stood there, listening to every word. How could my own daughter say that?! It was cruel and unnecessary.

"Rosalie!" I exclaimed even louder, trying to get my daughter to look at me. But she wouldn't. Rose would just stare at Bella.

Bella, on the other hand, looked emotionless. Her face was unreadable. She didn't deserve this at all. "Well, this changes things… I'm happy that you told me the truth. Never have I wanted to hurt anyone in this house." Bella went towards the door slowly and unfortunately, I just stood there, shocked and bewildered. Hurt was obvious in her movement, not just because she was hurt physically but obviously emotionally. "I'll come and collect my stuff when I'm settled into an orphanage. I'm terribly sorry to have placed all of this onto all of you. Please forgive me," Bella said before walking out of the house, leaving me shocked and speechless.

Rosalie dared to scoff and say: "Finally got rid of her." Looking at her, my face was literally angry and appalled. She looked at me and her smug expression disappeared.

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen, I am so ashamed of you. How dare you say something like that to her?!" I practically screamed at her. Rosalie flinched at my tone and I composed myself. "Bella never did anything to hurt me! She sang a song and it got to me. That's why I was crying, not because she said something to me or anything about what happened to her. She's a kind person Rosalie. I cannot believe that you would ever say those things to someone."

"But Mom, she—"

"No, I don't want to hear anything that's not true. Have you seen Bella do anything wrong to us since she has lived in our house for the past few days? I haven't. Now you go and find her and apologize. You're not coming into this house until you do," I ordered while pointing to the door Bella just walked out of. My daughter looked at me stunned for a few seconds before walking out of the house hesitantly. Bella would come back here and stay with us, whatever it would take.

**Rosalie's Point of View**

God… I can't believe Mom was making me do this. What did Bella have that was so special? It's not like she had looks or even a nice personality. But she was selfless. Bella cared about others more than herself at times. And obviously, Eddie boy was starting to have feelings for this girl, for whatever the reason, I'm not too sure. Going towards the garage, I saw that her old and rusty truck door was still there and had the driver's seat door open. Huh. That's odd. Walking over there, I saw that there was nothing out of the ordinary, just Bella leaving her door open. Putting my hand on the seat, I suddenly heard a high pitched screamed, followed by a woman screaming: "NO!" The scream was a few feet into the forest beside our house. And it sounded like… Bella.

"Bella?" Hesitantly, I walked towards the forest and towards the sound. It was a little creepy, going into a forest when not knowing what was waiting for me. The branches broke under my feet and suddenly, there was movement ahead of me.

Stabilizing myself with the nearest tree, a scruffy male voice shouted ahead of me: "Who's there?!" I approached the voice and was shocked at what was in front of me. A man with scruffy black hair and a moustache had a hand on Bella's mouth and held a knife to her throat, his arm around her chest and holding her against him. Bella looked terrified. Her eyes glistened with fear and shock.

"Who are you?! Let go of her!" I screamed at the man holding her hostage. As I took a step forward, he pushed the knife farther into Bella's neck, making beads of crimson red blood trickle down her throat. That gesture made me stop immediately. "What do you want with her?"

"She's my daughter, I can do whatever I damn please," The man responded angrily. He slurred most of his words, meaning he was probably drunk. Bella looked at me and her eyes held one message: _GET OUT OF HERE!_ How could she even think of making me leave? She obviously was in danger. "She's going to go home with me and do as I say."

"You can't make her do anything! She's a person, not a slave."

"Look Bella," The man said as he placed his head right next to hers and whispered in her ear, making Bella shut her eyes in horror, "this girl's just lying once again, thinking that she cares for you. After all the stuff she said to you, can you believe her?" Her father whispered and my mouth literally fell. The man saw my expression change and laughed. "Yes, that's right. I heard that little outburst of yours. If you ask me, it just proves that this bitch right here needs to stay home and not to bother anybody with her damn problems." Bella's father removed the knife from Bella's neck and placed the tip behind Bella's back.

"Don't call her that!" I screamed, not knowing what came after me. The fact that this man was taunting Bella and insulting her really got to me, affected my heart. Maybe I was changing my opinion towards Bella Swan. "You better let go of her or I swear I'll—"

"You'll do what? There's not much you can do with this pretty knife right here," He waved the knife around and placed it right back against Bella's side. She looked absolutely terrified as her brown eyes locked onto mine. A stray tear fell down her face and it made my eyes water. She was really brave to try and stand up against this man. But with his hand covering her mouth, she couldn't do much, "threatening to end this pathetic slut's life. Besides, she doesn't deserve to live. A bitch like this should just die in a hole, alone and unloved. And one step coming from you will just endanger my bitch of a daughter's life. Like this." And suddenly, Bella's father plunged the knife into her back, making her eyes bulge out in pain and shock. A gasp of shock escaped my lips as he placed the bloody knife back to Bella's neck.

Bella's eyes drooped a little and she tried to focus onto me. "Bella!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The man just laughed and kept a hold on Bella, making sure she doesn't fall. Bella was losing blood, and a lot of it. Most of it was trickling onto the ground beneath her. "Let her go! She doesn't deserve this!" I really was having a change of heart. At first, I thought Bella was just making all of this up to get attention. Now I knew the truth. She really needed help. Bella needed a family to love her. Mom would give her that.

"Rosalie?" Dad's voice asked from far behind. His voice was faint but it got Bella's father's attention. He threw Bella aside, making her fall to the ground with a loud _thud_, and running off in the woods. But I didn't care. Running towards Bella, I knelt to the ground and placed her in my arms, trying to get her to look at me. Her eyes were drooping and focusing in and out. Not good.

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" I placed a hand on her back and a wet substance clung to my hand. Her blood was now covered on my hand but at least it would stop the flow. "Bella, come on, stay with me. You'll be fine."

"Rosalie… you don't need to be nice to me… If I die… it's going to be simpler on… every… one…" Her voice cracked at the end and became a whisper. Bella's eyes closed and her head fell backwards.

Oh no… "Dad! Help! Come on Bella, stay with us. You can't die! You can't leave my annoying sister and brother! They love you. And I need to show you I'm not as rude as you think I am. Come on Bella! Stay with us!" I tried to shake her awake but she would just moan and keep her eyes closed. The blood was flowing too fast. She wouldn't last any longer if Dad didn't come here soon.

"Rosalie, what's all the—let me through." Dad's voice changed automatically. It went from worried father to professional doctor. He kneeled in front of me and turned Bella over gently. The wound actually shocked me and my father. It was right beside the spine, hitting an artery. I might not know much about medicine but I knew that if it wasn't treated right away, Bella would die from blood loss. "Charlie knew where to stab. We need to bring her in the house." Dad brought Bella in his arms and started running towards the house. I followed him reluctantly and saw Mom rushing up to us. She saw Bella unconscious in Dad's arms and gasped in shock, placing her hands in front of her mouth.

"Oh dear god!" Mom exclaimed as Dad went in the house and rushed to Bella's hospital bed. Mom followed him and placed a few blankets on the bed so Bella's blood wouldn't stain the sheets. How did one person have so much bad luck?

Dad started working on Bella's back the second she was placed onto the bed. Mom and I clung to each other and tried to be strong for Bella and for Dad. Hopefully Bella would live…

**Alright so Charlie came back and is running away, Bella's been stabbed and is losing a lot of blood and Rosalie is… caring? What has the world come to?! :P Anyways, you guys know what to do. REVIEW!!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

13


	11. A new friendship

**Alright people, here's a short chapter but filled with emotions and… Rosalie's going to do something unimaginable!!!! So, if you want to know what she's going to do, READ AND REVIEW!!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 10

A new friendship

**Edward's Point of View**

Rosalie never came back to school. Emmet was pretty worried about her but never really showed it to anyone but us. Alice and I were anxious to go back home and hang out with Bella. She seemed so lonely. Maybe doing activities would boost her mood a little. We drove home right after school and almost ran into a sad looking house. Mom was in the living room, crying with a box of tissues in her hands and looking out the window. Dad was sitting in front of Mom, saying soothing words like: "She's going to be fine," and: "She's recovering." Who was he talking about? And where was Rosalie?

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked him curiously. He turned around and his face was unreadable. Oh no. Not good. Something terrible must have happened. He hasn't had an unreadable face like that in a long time. No one could see through his doctor face. Not even Esme. Dad sighed, got up and walked towards us.

"Charlie went after Bella today." My face literally fell and Alice gasped in shock as she placed a hand on her mouth. Oh no…

"What happened? Is Bella alright?" I asked but Dad interrupted me when he lifted his hand to shut me up.

"Of what Esme told me, Rosalie came home and said some things to Bella that made her leave. Unfortunately, Charlie must have been listening because he grabbed her and led her out into the forest. Rosalie went after Bella and found Charlie holding a knife to Bella's throat." Oh god… I don't want to hear anymore. But we need to know what happened to Bella. I need her to be alright. Dad took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a few seconds—trying to compose himself properly—and said: "He stabbed her Edward. He hit a main artery and she was losing a lot of blood. Luckily, I was able to stop the bleeding and stitch it up but—"eH

"Where is she?" I asked, stopping his explanation.

"In her room, resting. She's had a rough few hours Edward. She needs to rest."

"I can't believe that bastard dares to even try to—" Alice interrupted me when she placed her hand on my arm. Looking at her, she had a few stray tears running down her face. Her eyes had now gone red with tears and they were puffy. Her green eyes alone told me to calm down. Alice was the only one, besides Mom, who could calm me down easily. I composed myself and asked: "Where's Rose?"

"In her room. She won't come out," Mom said as she joined Dad. He placed an arm around her waist and brought her close to him, trying to soothe Mom.

"Why won't she come out?" Alice asked curiously, her voice rough from the tears.

"Rosalie was there, trying to get Charlie to hand Bella over. She… you might want to talk to her about it. She might reconsider coming downstairs," Mom suggested.

We both nodded and went up the stairs towards Rosalie's room. It was unbelievable what someone could miss when you're gone to school for a few hours. And it was hard to believe that He Charlie would do a stupid stunt like this so close to the house. To think he actually escaped! Arriving to Rosalie's room, the door was slightly open. Alice and I looked at each other before pushing the door open slowly.

We saw Rose sitting on her bed, her knees brought up to her chin. She had her arms entangled around them, rocking back and forth. Her eyes looked horror-struck. Rosalie didn't even look at us when we entered. Alice and I noticed one of her hands was still bloody and staining her jeans. It must be Bella's blood. "Rosalie?" Alice asked softly and hesitantly. Rose looked at us and a few tears ran down her face. "It's alright honey, she's going to be alright."

"All the things he said to her…" She mumbled as we sat on Rosalie's bed. Alice placed an arm around Rosalie's shoulder as she kept mumbling to herself. "She… Bella just wanted… Oh god… I can't believe I was such a bitch to her…" Alice brought Rose into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly as Rosalie cried.

"Rosalie, what happened out there?" I asked her softly, trying not to jostle her when she was this upset. Rosalie separated from Alice's embrace and looked at me with puffy red eyes.

"Mom told me to get Bella back… I went outside and found her truck door open. Then she… she screamed and, as stupid as I am, I went into the forest, only to find her… Charlie had covered her mouth and had a knife against her throat. Even when I tried to get to Bella, he just dug the knife deeper in her throat…" Her voice was cracking with tears once again. Poor Rose, she had witnessed everything that had happened. "I… I couldn't just… I tried to get to her. She looked so helpless. I had judged Bella so… oh god…"

"Rosalie, what happened after that?" I asked, trying to get more information out of Rosalie. Alice glared at me to be careful and I looked sympathetically at Rosalie.

"He… he taunted her when I tried to defend her. He told her that I was lying again. Apparently, he'd heard my conversation with Bella in the living room. He'd been listening the whole time…" She seemed to be remembering everything that had happened, not just Charlie's encounter but also everything she had said to Bella beforehand. "Charlie had insulted her… calling her a bitch and a slut… He was so rude to her… After he insulted her, he… he placed the knife on her back. I tried to threaten him but he… he just…"

"He what Rosie?" Alice asked, using Rosalie's old nickname. It showed that Alice was the youngest of us all. Whenever she was scared, she'd pull out the old nicknames to make her feel better, not that we minded.

"He stabbed her. Bella's eyes just… she was in so much pain but she couldn't scream. Charlie's hand was still on her mouth. She couldn't do anything. He took it out of her and put it back to her throat. Bella tried to focus on me but then Dad called for me. Charlie just threw her to the side and ran. I didn't bother running after him. There was no point. I'd never catch up to him, especially in heels. I… I ran to Bella and tried to get her to wake up and when she did, she… she said that it'd be easier on everyone if she died… Oh god! I was such a bitch to her!" Rosalie finally said before crying on Alice's shoulder. How could Bella ever say that? But it showed that Rosalie was having a change of heart.

"It's alright Rosie… She's alright…" Alice cooed in her sister's ear. I got up and rubbed Rosalie's shoulder before exiting her room. It shocked me at how Rosalie looked when she told us the story. Her face looked so pained. Did it affect her that much? Poor Rosalie…

I walked towards Bella's room and hesitated. My heart wanted to see her so bad, to make sure with my own eyes that she was alright. Dad said that Bella was resting. Had her wound drained her so much? She must have been on the verge of death, once more. God… how many times will Bella have to suffer to be free from this man? Charlie won't stop looking for her until she's dead. Reaching for the doorknob, I twisted it open and saw Bella sleeping on her side. Her back was to me and unfortunately, her shirt was lifted high enough for me to see the gauze wrapped around her torso. Some of her blood had seeped into it. Her breathing was laboured, indicating that her wound was giving her grief.

Walking over to her, I kneeled down and stood only a few inches from her bed. She looked so peaceful. I hesitantly placed a hand on her cheek and Bella stirred. How could a woman so beautiful and so full of life have such a horrible past? Opening her beautiful brown eyes, she found me and smiled. "Hey…" She whispered sadly as I kept my hand on her cheek.

"Hey there Hun. You've had me so worried. How are you feeling?"

"I'm so sorry…" She completely ignored my question and closed her eyes as a stray tear fell from her face. Bella tried to lift herself up but gasped in pain.

My hands hovered above her body as she slumped back into the bed. "Don't move Bella, you're only going to hurt yourself even more." She met my gaze and all I saw was sadness and guilt.

"Edward, Rosalie could have been badly hurt today. If anything happens to any of you, I'd just—"

"Rosalie's just fine, Bella. None of us are going to get hurt."

"But what if you did Edward? What if Charlie went after any of you to try and get to me? You can't imagine how horrible I would feel if he—" I placed a finger to her lips and she shut up immediately.

"Bella, Charlie wants to come after you, not us. We—"

"Edward, what if—"

"Bella, listen to me. He's not going to come after any of us and he won't touch you ever again. Do you hear me? We're going to protect you and do whatever it takes to make you safe," I said, trying to make her understand and all of this stress was not letting her heal. Her leg must give her much grief and now, her back wound wouldn't heal right if she kept on worrying about us. "Now just focus on healing."

"What about Rosalie? Is she alright?" Bella asked worriedly.

"She's a little shaken up but isn't hurt." Suddenly, Alice came in the room with Rosalie by her side. Obviously, both of them had been crying because their eyes were red and puffy. "And she's behind you." Bella tried to move but ended up gasping in pain, closing her eyes and stiffening her body. My hands, once again, hovered above her as she stayed on her side, unable to do anymore.

Alice and Rosalie looked worried as Bella positioned herself into a position that wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately, she wasn't successful. "Is it alright if I talk to her?" Rosalie asked, her voice hoarse and raspy from the tears. The girls walked into the room and came to Bella's bedside.

"Um… alright," was Bella's simple answer as Rosalie sat where I was. Alice and I looked at the both of them and exited the room, closing the door behind us. But, seeing as we're still kids, we placed our ears to the door and tried to listen in to their conversation.

**Bella's Point of View**

My back felt like it was on fire. Any sort of movement would cause a stab of pain erupt in my back. Rosalie sat next to me and looked me straight in the eyes, her green eyes bloodshot from crying. She must have been crying because of Charlie. He was quite awful to her. "Rosalie, I'm really sorry for putting you in danger today. You could have been badly hurt and it would have been on my conscious. Never in my life have I wanted to put anyone in danger for what my father has done," I said but she just shook her head.

"Don't apologize for anything. Nothing was your fault. I… I should have believed everything you said about Charlie. I'm so sorry for everything that I said to you. And I really shouldn't have acted that way. It wasn't right at all," She said honestly. It was hard to believe at first but never have I held a grudge against someone. Never. Not even against Charlie.

"It's alright Rosalie. You were right. I shouldn't have—"

"No, don't say it. None of the things I said to you were true. I should have been more respectful with you. It… it wasn't correct. And you're not a burden to anyone," She said with a slight smile. Even now, when she's telling me all of these things, I still feel a little guilty for having to put them through all of this.

"But I still—"

"Bella, please. Don't feel guilty, or sad or… or anything! How about we just… just start over? You know, a clean slate?" Rosalie asked, hoping that I'd accept it.

"Of course Rosalie. I'd love to," I said, not reconsidering my statement. She smiled and sat closer to me. This might be the start of a beautiful friendship.

**Oh wow… Bella and Rosalie are going to be friends? And I know I ended it short but hey, if you want another chapter shortly, REVIEW!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

10


	12. Nightmares

**Alright, another great chapter and there's more EDWARD AND BELLA in it this time! Enjoy. SO READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!!**

Chapter 11

Nightmares

**Bella's Point of View**

Rosalie and I had talked for a few minutes before my eyes started to droop uncontrollably. She had left the room to let me sleep and, once the door was closed, I fell into an uneasy slumber.

_I dreamt that I was in a dim lighted house. My surroundings were very dark and, wherever there was light, it seemed to shine a dark green, like in a horror movie—of what I've heard. Walking slowly forward, I tried to get a good look at my surroundings. Because of the green lights, it was hard to see anything. But, of what I could tell, I was in my house, the place where all of my nightmares have occurred for the last eight years. _

"_Be… lla…" I heard an extremely weak female voice say from my right. If I had not been standing next to the kitchen, I probably would have never heard it in the first place. Turning my head, I found Esme sprawled across the kitchen floor, all bloody and barely alive._

"_Esme!" I screamed while running up to her, kneeling beside her as she took her last breath and died. "Esme, come on. Wake up, wake _up_!" I shouted at her, trying to wake her up but she wouldn't even lift a finger. Esme was dead. There was nothing I could do. There was too much blood to try and assess the damage. Who could have done such a thing?_

_I turned my attention else where and gasped in shock at what was in this room. Alice was lying on her stomach, her eyes vacant and staring right at me. Her green orbs staring horridly at me, fear and horror written all over them. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, its red content staining her black hair. Rosalie, on the other hand, was laying against the cupboards, blood running down her perfect tank top. Her eyes were half closed and also vacant, just like her sister. Emmett and Jasper were lying one on top of each other, two bullet holes in their backs, killing them instantly. They were also lying in a pool of their own blood, just like everyone in this room. Carlisle's legs were sticking out of the kitchen towards the backyard. Who had done this?! And where was Edward?_

"_Edward? Edward, where are you?! EDWARD!" I screamed at the house, trying to find him. The lighting suddenly changed slowly from green to red. _

"_Looking for him?" A scruffy male voice said. I looked up and found Charlie throwing Edward onto the floor in front of me. A sickening grin erupted onto Charlie's face when Edward tried to lift himself up. _

"_Charlie, stop!" I yelled. _

_Edward's eyes met mine and his eyes just showed sorrow and sadness. "I'm sorry… I tried to stop him," Edward said but was interrupted when Charlie took out his gun and shot Edward three times in the back, killing him instantly. My scream of terror made the smile on Charlie's face widen even more. _

"_NO!" I screamed as Edward's body slumped to the floor, his eyes staring across from me. Oh my god… Crawling towards Edward, I placed a hand to his face and found it ice cold. He was dead. And I couldn't do anything to stop it. Placing my forehead on his face, I started crying and Charlie just laughed at me. "How could you! They didn't do anything!" I screamed at Charlie, who was still laughing at his murders. _

"_This is what happens when you disobey me, Isabella." Charlie's voice was icy and full of venom. Just as he pointed his gun to me, a woman with short red hair and blue eyes walk beside Charlie and look at me. It was Mom. Her eyes were pleading and full of sadness. _

"_Bella, you have to wake up, honey," Mom said, almost a whisper. _

"_Goodbye Isabella. I won't miss you," Charlie mocked as he loaded his gun, still pointing it at me. _

"_Bella honey, wake up," Mom repeated. _

"_What? Mom, what are you saying?" I asked as everything around me started to disappear. _

"_Bella, wake up," Mom whispered before disappearing. _

"Bella? Bella, honey, wake up. It's alright," A woman's voice brought me out of my horrible nightmare. Looking around, I saw that I was no longer in Charlie's kitchen but in the guest bedroom at the Cullen household. My breathing was laboured and sweat was pouring down my face. "Honey, you're alright." Esme was right beside me, her hand on my shoulder, and trying to soothe me. She… she wasn't dead. It was just a nightmare. But… what about the others? "Bella, are you alright? You need to lie down. Your wound's going to open up again." Suddenly, the pain in my back was excruciating.

"Agh!" I exclaimed, closing my eyes and trying to avoid the excruciating pain in my back. Esme tried to push me back down on the bed but my body was so stiff that I couldn't move at all. A few seconds later, the pain diminished and I was able to think. "I'm good…"

"Honey, are you alright? Was it a nightmare?" Esme asked me as she sat in front of me, placing a hand on my cheek. She was in her nightgown, her hair tied up as she looked me deep in the eyes. I recalled what she looked like in my dream, all bloody and drained of life. Her caramel-coloured hair had been stained with red from her own blood and I couldn't look away. A few tears ran down my face as I looked at her. She was alive…

"Oh Esme…" I said before the tears fell down unwillingly and she brought me into a friendly hug, murmuring things like: "It's alright dear," and "It was just a nightmare." Thank god it was only a nightmare.

**Edward's Point of View**

We heard Bella scream all the way from our rooms. All of us had woken up and went to her room. Mom was trying to soothe her but Bella was just crying onto her shoulder. Alice tried to hold back the tears as Rosalie looked away from Bella's room. Mom looked at us and a stray tear fell from her face. She edged us to come in and we all came in.

"Bella, honey, it's alright. You're safe now," Mom soothed but Bella just cried even more. Alice and I sat down on both of Bella's sides as Rosalie kneeled down in front of her.

"It's alright Bella, we're all here. You're alright," Alice said as she placed a hand on her friend's back, away from her wound. All of these movements must be killing Bella's back. Bella turned her attention to us and her eyes held so much fear and horror.

"Alice?" Bella asked, her voice hoarse from the crying.

"Yeah Bella, we're here," Rosalie said as she started rubbing Bella's knee. It was still a little weird that Rosalie was acting so nice towards Bella. But then again, anything could happen these days. Bella calmed herself down and composed herself.

"I'm fine," She tried to reassure us but it wasn't successful.

"Bella, you're not alright. You want to tell us what your nightmare was about?" I asked but she just shook her head as more tears fell down her perfect face. That's right, I'm developing even more feelings for Bella and I won't deny it. "Do you want to tell any of us alone?" I asked, hoping that it would help her if only one person knew. Luckily, she nodded. Rosalie and Alice both looked at me and nodded while getting up.

"Mom, how about we let Bella talk to Edward alone? She might feel better that way," Rosalie replied, which didn't really make any sense. Bella could talk to anyone in this house but instead, everyone's choosing me. Not that I'm complaining…

Mom nodded and gave Bella one kiss on the forehead before leaving with Rosalie and Alice. Once the door closed, I looked back at Bella. She was seated a few feet away from me, not daring to look at me. A few more tears fell down her face as she looked away from me. But she was also slightly shaking. "Bella, it's alright. You're safe now," I tried to say but she just shook even more. I approached her slowly and tried not to scare her.

"I might be but not for long…" She muttered sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't stay here with all of you. You're in a lot of danger," She said, looking me straight in the eyes. Her brown orbs were filled with so much grief that it pained me to look at them for too long. But I had to do something. Bella was in so much pain, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. What could have been her nightmare? One thought popped to mind: Charlie.

"Bella, he's not coming anywhere near you. And he won't hurt us. I promise," I assured her while sitting right next to her on the bed. She was so scared.

"Edward, you can't promise me that. He's the chief of police. He can get anywhere he wants. And he knows that I care for all of you. He'll use that against me," She said as more tears fell down her face. Bella hid her face in her hands as I placed a hand on her thigh. "I don't want you to get hurt…" Her voice was so filled with pain that it broke my heart.

I enticed my arms around her body and brought her closer to me. "Bella, Charlie won't touch you. I'll make sure of that."

She lifted her head and looked me straight in the eyes. "I don't want you to go anywhere _near _him! He'll hurt you because of me! Edward, promise me you won't go looking for him," Bella asked me with so much fear. What was she so afraid of? Charlie was just a human being. The fact that he was a police chief wouldn't stop me from protecting Bella.

I hesitated at first but, in the end, said: "Alright Bella, I won't go near him. I promise you."

"Thank you," She said before resting her head on my chest, trying to calm herself. "I'm so glad you're alive," Bella mumbled into my chest and that rouse suspicion in myself.

"What was your nightmare about?" I asked her worriedly. She stiffened in my arms and clung to my shirt—which I thankfully put on before coming in Bella's room.

"I…" She started but didn't seem to be able to finish. Her leg was on my leg and she was kneeling down on the bed. "He…"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Take your time Bella," I said and she seem to stiff once more against my chest. I tried to get her back into bed and help her relax but, unfortunately she wouldn't let me go. "Bella?"

"Please don't leave me. I… I can't bear to be alone tonight," She pleaded as she clung to my shirt, tears streaming down her face. How could I say no to her right now? She seemed to be in such distress. "Please…" Her voice cracked with sadness and tears.

"I'm not leaving you Bella." My tone was final as I sat next to Bella on her bed and she leaned against me. She seemed to be extremely comfortable this way and her tension seemed to leave her body. Placing an arm around her waist—careful not to touch her wound or anywhere near it—she cuddled next to me and placed her head against my chest. My eyes drooped as both Bella and I fell into a deep sleep.

**Bella's Point of View**

Edward had slept next to me all night. He'd not only helped me forget about my horrible nightmare but also saved me from any more nightmares that night. The next morning, I woke up next to Edward. He was still asleep and seemed so relaxed and… quite hot. Shaking my head from his exquisitely gorgeous body—even though he was wearing a shirt and shorts—I got up slowly and painfully away from Edward and went towards the door. Grabbing my crutches, I opened the door without a sound, looked at Edward sleeping and exited my room soundlessly.

I went towards the kitchen and found Esme cooking breakfast alone. "Good morning Bella. How are you this morning? Feeling any better?" She asked with a lovely smile as I sat down on one of the chairs. Thankfully, this morning, I was able to walk without excruciating pain.

"Better, thanks." She placed a plate of pancakes in front of me and they absolutely smelled delicious. "I'm really sorry about disturbing you last night. I didn't mean to wake you guys up."

"Don't be silly Bella. It wouldn't be right if you had an uneasy sleep while the rest of us were sound asleep."

"But still…" I hesitated as she sat down next to me.

"Just eat your breakfast Bella. It's in the past now. But would you like to talk about last night, if it would help you?" She asked, not pushing me in the least.

"It just… I saw Charlie kill all of you, before he… killed me," I admitted sadly while poking at my pancakes. Esme gasped and placed a hand on her mouth. She was shocked and sad at the same time. "I found you all just… lying there, shot to death. He… He shot Edward after that right in front of me and… my mom showed up, telling me to wake up. I… I think she might have been repeating what you were saying. I remember waking up, hearing your voice saying that I should wake up," I explained to her and she seemed to smile at the last comment. "Thank god it was only a nightmare."

"Honey, we're all here for you. No one's going to get hurt." She placed a hand on my arm and smiled at me.

"I hope you're right about that…" I muttered to myself before eating my breakfast while talking to Esme. This woman has meant a lot to me and Edward… he could mean more to me than just friends, hopefully.

**Ok so it seems like you guys like this story so, I'm trying to give you guys a lot of chapters quick. So what did you think of the little Edward and Bella scene? I hope you liked it. The only way I can know that is from REVIEWS!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	13. Talent night

**Alright so this is a little lighter chapter for you all. READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!!!**

Chapter 12

Talent night

**Bella's Point of View**

A few weeks later, I was able to remove the cast and was now able to walk on it with only an Ace Bandage. I was able to walk on it now, not for long though but it was still progress if you ask me. My bruises were healing extremely fast up to the point that they were hardly visible anymore. It was impressive how I showed no fright or anything of the sort towards the men in the Cullen household. Carlisle had told me that it would be possible that I'd be scared around him and Edward. But there were no reactions whatsoever. Frankly, I tried as best as possible not to scare them. My nightmares would haunt me eternally but I've been hiding the tears and the screams from them.

Right after my cast was removed, I went to the music store with Esme and bought a guitar, an electronic piano and a Mac laptop—yeah, it's really pricey but I have a lot of money left over, which Charlie never knew about—with a composing program installed inside. All of those things mostly broke me but I was also looking for a part time job. Esme was against it but I told her that it was the right thing to do. I wanted to feel right living with them, to be able to pay my own way.

I still wasn't ready to go to school, and certainly not ready to have those kids stare at me and cause rumours—which must have been going on for weeks. During my time off of school, Alice, Edward and even Angela had brought me my homework. Well, maybe not Angela but she gave it to Alice to hand it to me, which was really nice of her. That was during the night. During the day, I'd taught myself how to play guitar, both acoustic and electric. Ok, you must be thinking that I can't afford all of that, especially with Charlie and all. Well, the truth is that I've been saving up my allowance ever since I can remember. In the end, if you look at it the way I do, I've got about three thousand dollars saved up. And now, well, it's all gone towards my dream.

One day, Alice came into my room as I just finished writing my new song. Looking up, I smiled at her and said: "Hey Ali, what's up?"

"How are you feeling?" She asked while gliding over to my bed, sitting right beside me.

Chuckling, I closed my eyes and went back to my computer, looking once more at the song before finalising it. "You ask me that every single day."

"That's because I'm worried. You're my best friend Bells," She said in the saddest voice I ever heard. Looking up at her, I saw that Alice tried to smile but was very unsuccessful. Ever since Charlie had stabbed me, Alice has been worried sick about me, thinking that something horrible would happen again.

"I know, you're my best friend to Ali, but think about it. He wouldn't dare hurt me if I was surrounded by friends. And you've all been making sure of that. You don't need to worry about me Alice, I'll be fine," I assured her, hoping that my words would be true. She wrapped her arms around me and it felt nice to be close to her good vibes. It helped me calm down.

"I'll keep that in mind. So, what'cha working on?" She asked, always intrigued in what I created. I shrugged and started pressing buttons until the music started playing. Alice thumped to the beat and a smile came onto her face. "This is amazing! I can't believe you wrote that!" Alice exclaimed as she kept bobbing her head to the beat.

I stopped the song and a smile erupted on my face. "Thanks. I feel right about this song. It's been in my mind ever since I came here. You guys were kind of my inspiration, you could say," I answered honestly. Alice's face beamed up and she hugged me fiercely.

"I'm so happy to hear that! Now we have a real reason to celebrate tonight!" She beamed happily.

"We're celebrating what exactly? I wrote a song, big whoop," I answered sarcastically.

"Well, frankly, we're just going to a karaoke restaurant but that's beside the point. We just—"

"Is there a certain reason why we're going to a _karaoke_ restaurant?" I asked sceptically, never sure what Alice was planning in that small head of yours.

"It used to be a tradition of ours when we lived in San Francisco. Once every two weeks, Dad would have this night off and we'd go and celebrate with singing and supper. So, we were thinking of going to Seattle and sing like crazy," She explained, raising her arms in the air at the end happily. Well, you can't break traditions.

"Alright, what time are we leaving?"

"Right now!" She said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me off the bed carefully and through the door. Great, obviously I was being dragged there and forced to go. Maybe Alice would make me sing as well… perfect.

It took us a while to get ready—Rosalie was apparently getting her makeup done while we were in the car—but we finally left and, in just a few minutes, we arrived at _The Sing Star Restaurant_. I was told this place was a great hit. Of course, Charlie would never let me go anywhere so, I wasn't aware of this place. But Tanya and the plastic witches kept talking about it in the hallways and seemed to go to it often. Hopefully, they wouldn't be going tonight. I couldn't handle having them there. They would probably embarrass me in front of everyone.

"Welcome to _The Sing Star Restaurant_. Do you have a reservation?" A waitress named Sandy asked with a large smile plastered on her face. She kept looking at Edward with interest written all over her face. Somehow, a pang of jealousy erupted in me. What was that all about? Did… did I want to be with Edward?

"Yes, under Cullen," Carlisle said as she looked down on her reservation list. Sandy looked back at Carlisle and smiled before waving her arm towards the stage.

"Right this way, Mr. Cullen." We followed Sandy towards our table in the middle of the restaurant. We all sat down, most of us paired up into couples. Esme and Carlisle, then Emmett and Rosalie—yes, she brought him along, and Alice brought Jasper. Big surprise—Alice and Jasper, and then Edward and I were sitting right beside one another. He kept flashing those wonderful smiles of his as the waitress took our drink order.

Just as we got settled, Esme stood up and went to the washroom. It seemed quite odd that Rosalie winked at her mother before she left. What was that all about? I wanted to ask Rosalie what the secret between her and Esme was but Alice interrupted me by asking: "So, anyone ready to sing tonight? I say that Bella should sing something."

"Oh no! I'm not going up there," I retorted, raising my hands defensively.

"Fine, how about I sing with you? It won't be that bad."

"Alright, I guess I could do that…" I said, defeated but Alice beamed me a smile that no one could refuse. Emmett and Rosalie had decided to sing as well, Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Jasper, and Edward. Carlisle and Esme weren't going to sing at all. What a shame. I would have loved to hear them sing the two of them together as a couple.

"So Bella, what time do you think that you're coming back to school? I miss ya!" Emmett whined with his childish voice and, most of all, his childish face. Man, what a kid he was! And who could resist that puppy dog pout of his? Rosalie placed an arm through his and leaned into him. They were such a lovely couple.

Placing a hand on my cheek and resting against it, I closed my eyes and thought about that before answering. "I don't know. I'm getting better so…" Emmett did the puppy dog pout again and I chuckled softly. "Maybe tomorrow or something."

"Yay! Bella's coming back to school!" He chimed with happiness that I couldn't help laughing at. He was such a child.

"Don't try to rush into things, Bella. Are you sure you're ready to go back to school?" Carlisle asked, his tone going into doctor mode. Of course he'd say that. Ever since Charlie came back, he'd been checking up on me and trying to help my injuries. In the past few weeks, I noticed something about Esme and Carlisle that filled my heart with warmth. They were the parents I wished I had. Don't get me wrong, no one could replace Mom but Charlie… Carlisle was a much better father. "You can still go after—"

"I'm sorry Carlisle, but I feel right about going back to school. Sure, I might get a lot of horrible looks and some people might bite my head off, but I need to catch up on the lessons and all that. After all, colleges want to see this year's marks more than next year's, so I need to get back into it," I explained, thinking that my grades were going to start slipping if my tests weren't going to get done.

"Alright, if you're sure," Carlisle said, eyeing me one last time. I gave him a positive smile, even though my gut told me something else. Tanya would surely be all over me tomorrow.

"I'm positive."

"Alright Bella, time to sing 'til we drop!" Alice said while grabbing my wrist and gently pulling me towards the stage. What's the worst that could happen? Alice grabbed two microphones and handed one to me. Unfortunately, she had already picked a song for us. _Put it in a love song_ by _Alicia Keys_ was the song she had picked for us to sing. It was quite ironic. _Beyoncé_ features in this song and our initials were the same as the artists.

Alice started singing and, I have to admit, she had a wonderful voice! All eyes were on her. It almost didn't feel right to sing along with her. She should have the moment of glory, not have anyone along with her sing this song. Unfortunately, it was technically a duet. I started to sing along and the crowd averted their eyes to me. Alice still had a smile on her face and we were undeniably good. Jasper and Emmett's eyes had bulged out the moment they heard us sing. Edward looked at me with lust in his eyes. Wait, lust? Maybe I was just imagining things. He would never want to go out with a woman that had such a horrible past.

We came off the stage after the song and went to sit with the others. "Whoa… Bellsy's got some skills!" Emmett said while giving me a high five. He really was sweet. It didn't even look like he was in his senior year, more like he could pass for an extremely large eight grader with the way he acts.

"Thanks, now how about we eat? I'm starving!" I exclaimed and, the exact moment I made my exclamation, the food was delivered. And it was good. Well, not as good as Esme's cooking but a very close second.

Rosalie and Emmett had performed _Starstrukk _by _3OH3! _and _Katy Perry_. Frankly, they had performed it well. Rosalie had some good vocal skills but Emmett… let's just say his voice was extremely hoarse when using a microphone. Jasper and Ali were next. They performed _Two is better than one_ by _Boys like Girls_ and featuring _Taylor Swift_. Of course Alice had the beautiful voice and, surprisingly, Jasper had an amazing voice. They looked so beautiful together. Afterwards, it Emmett and Jasper's turn. They did _Break your heart_ by _Taio Cruz_ and _Ludacris_. It was an amazing song and well… the two guys together made it sound alright. They tried to look gangster but it wasn't working at all. Actually, it was really funny.

But what took my breath away was Edward singing. He performed _Perfect_ by _Hedley_, one of my favourite bands. He knew exactly what to do to make my heart stop. His voice was like bells. Edward's voice was perfect, just like the title of the song. His green orbs never left mine while he was on stage, as if he was directing the song to me.

"He's so amazing…" I whispered mostly to myself.

"Edward mostly sings when he performs on the piano. It's hard to get him out here like this. Surprising, this time, he just got up there and sang. It's like he wants to impress you," Alice said with a wink. I rolled my eyes at her and looked at Edward as he finished. Once again, he smiled that crooked smile of his and my heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

"What did you think?" Edward asked once sitting down.

"You were incredible." My response was immediate and without hesitation. It was the truth.

"Thank you," Edward said before directing his attention to the stage and smiled. What was that? I looked in that direction and saw that the manager of the restaurant had taken a mike and directed his attention to the restaurant.

"Alright folks, we've got a brand new event happenin' today. A songwriter's in the house and she's going to perform her new song, _Wakin' up to love_!" The manager said and my eyes bulged out. Oh no… Who could have done this? I looked at the Cullens and Esme, Rosalie and Alice were smiling at me. Oh god! Why?!

"You didn't…" I whispered to them but they all just shrugged. Sighing, I placed my head on my arms and tried to ignore everyone around me. How could they have done this to me? They knew I wasn't ready to do this!

"Give it up for Bella Swan!" The manager said and everyone started clapping and cheering. Placing my hands on my head, I blocked them out, going to my happy place. Mom and I were on the beach, Dad was building a sand castle with me, we were all happy and having a great time. We were a family.

"Bella? They're calling for you," Esme said sweetly, placing a hand on my arm and bringing me back to Earth. They all had encouraging smiles on their faces and now, I had to do this. I couldn't disappoint them.

Getting up sheepishly, I went towards the stage and felt someone behind me. Turning around, I saw Edward try to reassure me with his smile. I dragged him aside and said: "I can't do this. They'll laugh at me."

Edward closed his eyes and placed both of his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look in his eyes. "You will do great out there. Just think of one thing. That's my trick. Think or look at one thing or person and focus on that. It'll help you get through it," He assured and I smiled. How could one man be so perfect? Edward brought me into his arms and whispered in my ear: "You can do this. You're an amazing person Hun. They'll love you out there."

"Thanks…" I answered as he let me go and smiled at me.

"Good luck!" He shouted as I went on the stage and prepared myself for the worst. Everyone was looking at me. Their piercing eyes were staring straight through me. Sweat started to pour down my forehead slowly as I looked at the crowd. Turning my head towards the Cullen table, I saw Edward looking at me and mouthing: "You can do it," to me. A smile came upon my face and the music started to play. Alice probably went on my computer and took the song from my file. Damn her… The music started to play and I sang along to it. I focused all of my attention on the Cullens as I sang.

The song symbolized love and happiness, that's what the Cullens brought upon my life. Every day, I would wake up and be worry-free. No Charlie to wake up at, no beatings everyday, nothing at all. Only love and understanding. The Cullens had given me a life and I was able to live to the fullest with them.

Once the song ended, everyone in the room was clapping and cheering to the fullest. The Cullens were happier than ever. Esme had tears to her eyes, so did Rosalie and Alice. Emmett was bouncing like a child in his chair and cheering in his manly voice. Edward whistled with his fingers and made me smile. He could do anything that guy. They really did care for me.

I walked down the stage and something caught my eye outside the restaurant. A man with scruffy hair was looking at me with sickening eyes. My eyes widened at the sight of him. Charlie… He'd found me. I stood frozen there, looking at the sickening man outside. His sickening smile widened and he took a knife out of his pocket for one second before someone passed by the window and Charlie was gone. I was still standing there, shocked.

"Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked me, standing in front of me worriedly as he placed his hands on my shoulders protectively.

"Ch… Ch… Charlie…" was the only word I said. Edward's body stiffened and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Everything will be alright. He can't hurt you. We're not going to let him get to you," Edward said as he brought me over to the table. The rest hadn't asked about my shocked expression. Edward must have told them not to ask but they all congratulated me on the song. They seemed very impressed. Although their compliments helped me, my mind couldn't forget about the man that had just stood in front of that window, the man that haunted my nights and haunted my past.

Charlie was everywhere and would get me one day. If I wasn't careful, that day would be sooner than later.

**So what did you think? I know, I took the song from the Neutrogena commercial but I love it. And it makes sense. But Charlie's back and he's armed. OHHHHH!!! I know the people in the restaurant could have seen him but they were too busy paying attention to Bella than to Charlie. Ha! So, the next chapter will talk about Bella's first day at school. So REVIEW to read the next chapter soon!!!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

13


	14. First day back

**Alright so here's a really long chapter for you. And there's a surprise ending so READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 13

First day back

**Bella's Point of View**

That horrible night was still playing in my mind. How could Charlie have been there? And how could no one have noticed the knife he'd been wielding in his hand? God… people can really be oblivious. Edward had tried to make me feel better but it was quite unsuccessful. The worry was painted on my face during the rest of the night and I went to bed with horrible nightmares.

_I just finished singing _Wakin' up to love_. Walking down the stage, my eyes spotted Charlie. He'd had that same sickening grin on his face as I froze in place, looking at him enter the restaurant. Looking around me, there was no one else, just me and him. Where had everyone gone to? "Edward? Edward, where are you?" I asked to no one. Charlie approached me still, dangling the knife in the air and snickered at me. _

"_You really should watch where you're going, Isabella," Charlie mocked as he stood in front of me, grabbing my neck and lifting me in the air. I gasped for air as he laughed. "I can't wait to laugh on your grave. Goodbye," He said before lifting the dagger and going to stab it in my heart. NO!_

I woke up gasping for air as sweat ran down my face. Looking around, my eyes adjusted to my position and saw that I was in my room in the Cullen household once more. But no one else was in my room. Thank god I didn't wake anyone else. Placing a hand on my sweaty face, I closed my eyes, took deep breaths and tried to think. How could I get rid of Charlie once and for all? Obviously, the police can't find him. He's trying to hide from everyone but what are his real plans? It's not like he wants to actually let me live, more like he wants me officially dead. So… what was I going to do?

Well, there was no way that I could sleep now. Looking at the clock, it read four thirty-seven. Great… another three hours before I had to officially get up. Maybe I could write something. Or maybe just practice. Getting up, I went over to the small closet and grabbed my electric guitar. Luckily, my amp could connect to a pair of headsets so, I plugged my headphones in the amp and started playing.

Maybe the music would get Charlie out of my mind for the night.

"Bella, you need to get out of your car." Edward's voice rang through my head, bringing me out of my reverie. I was in my truck, in the parking lot of Forks High School. My knuckles were turning white because I was clutching the steering wheel so hard. Edward had opened the door to my truck—which I was able to drive without any trouble because of my leg—and tried to get me to look at him. Turning my head towards his perfect face, his green eyes looked so worried. "Are you alright Hun?" He asked, always using that cute little nickname he'd used the first time Edward saw me battered and unconscious. Alice and Rosalie were walking right behind him and looked at me.

"I…" The words wouldn't come out of my mouth. Could I do this? Tanya and the other students would probably poke my eyes out because of everything going on. Edward had told me all the rumours that were spreading around that it was no surprise my life would be in turmoil entering that place.

"We'll be right by your side, every step of the way," Alice said with a smile, glad that I was back at school with her.

Edward placed his hands on mine and tried to relax them. It helped me and I was able to wrench them from the steering wheel. I looked into his emerald green eyes and found only support. "You can do it," were his encouraging words. I smiled at him and got out of my truck slowly.

"That's the spirit!" Emmett boomed as he and Jasper came towards us and going towards their girlfriends—yeah, that's right. Both couples are official now. And Rosalie and Alice couldn't be any happier—with smiles plastered on their faces.

"We're glad that you decided to come back to school, Bella." Jasper's voice was full of happiness and support as he wrapped an arm around Alice's waist and we entered the school slowly.

"You look exhausted Bella," Edward noticed while we were walking into the school.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," I answered honestly, exhaustion pouring over me.

"Mind explaining to me what happened?"

"Just had a bad dream," I said but looked around the hallway. Everyone was looking at me, their eyes piercing with hatred and confusion as the Cullens and I passed them by. All of their eyes were around me and Edward. "They're all staring at me," I whispered into Edward's ear. He looked around and saw that it was true.

"Don't think about them. They're jealous."

"Jealous of what?"

"The fact that we're talking to you instead of them," Rosalie whispered in my other ear. She'd been listening the whole time. What did she know? "Everyone's been trying to impress us for some reason. As if we'd be friends with snobs."

"It would be better for your—"

"Don't finish that sentence Bella." Rosalie's tone was final but kind. She gave me a sympathetic smile as we went to our lockers. Getting our books out, someone shouted my name, which made me turn my head around and found a girl with stylish glasses and a sweet face running up to me.

"Bella!" She screamed, running into my arms.

"Angela?" I asked, hoping that my vision wasn't failing me. Edward had told me that she was starting to care a lot for me and wanted to be my friend but I needed to see it for myself.

"I'm so glad that you're at school! How have you been?" She asked, separating from the hug and looked me in the eyes. Angela seemed really concerned for my health. She knew what had happened to me. Must have been rumours or Edward could have spilled his guts to her.

"Um… fine, I guess," was my simple answer.

"I'm glad to hear that." The bell rang as she finished speaking. We both looked at the ceiling and, seconds later, looked back at each other. "I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yeah, sure," I said before she ran off to her class and I was standing there with Edward and Alice.

"See? She really does care for you," Edward said from behind me. I glared at him and rolled my eyes moments after.

"Shut up…" I muttered with a smile as we went to our English class. When entering, the kids immediately turned their attention to me. Well, staring isn't the right word. It's more like _glaring_, like I'd done something absolutely devastating and they were all against me.

"So nice of you to join us, Miss Swan," Mr. Berty said emotionlessly. Looking towards him, I saw that he wore a sympathetic smile on his face. Well, it was official, the entire town knew about Charlie's abuse. Great… We took our seats without another word as Mr. Berty kept speaking to the class. "Alright, since our class is running a little behind, you're going to be presenting a piece of _Romeo and Juliet_ in front of the class and I need to know what piece everyone is doing. So, come up here and write your name and the piece you'll be presenting so we can start this as early as possible. And Miss Swan," Mr. Berty said and the class started to chatter about the pieces they were going to present, "I'd like you to come up here for a moment please."

I hesitantly got up and went to the front of the class. Mr. Berty dragged us outside of the classroom and had a small—and I do mean small—smile on his face. "What's this all about, Mr. Berty?" I asked, hoping I wasn't in trouble for missing so much school.

"The school play of _Romeo and Juliet_ is coming. Mrs. Goss wanted me to tell you that you can audition for the part of Juliet. She hasn't found her Juliet and her Romeo yet. Do you know anyone who would want to perform?" Mr. Berty asked with a sincere smile on his face.

I closed my eyes and tried to reason with him. "Mr. Berty, there are much better people who could—"

"Mrs. Goss wants you to audition for her Juliet. Never in her twelve years of working here has she ever been persistent like she is now. Please Miss Swan, you would be a great Juliet." Mr. Berty persisted that I tried for the play. I'd probably be rejected anyway. People were much better suited for the part of Juliet than I was. Maybe Edward could… Oh never mind. He'd never want to do something like this. "Please take it into consideration. The auditions would be Wednesday right after school," He explained with the same smile still on his face.

I sighed and said: "I'll think about it." We went back in the classroom and, when taking my seat, Alice bombarded me with the piece we were doing. She said that Edward and I were doing the balcony scene—Alice was going to work with Tyler Crowley. She was trying to give us some privacy—and said that it was the perfect scene for us. I looked at Edward and he shrugged, indifferent at Alice's choice.

Great… he'd have to put up with me in this horrible play. Would I really want to ask him to be my Romeo in the play? Better question is if he'd want to do it _at all_.

After English came Math and that went on a drag. Edward and Alice met me at the entrance of the class after the bell rang for Lunch and we all went together. I'd taken a glance around and met Tanya's glare. She was staring straight at me and seemed to shoot daggers. Oh, if looks could kill.

I turned my attention back to my food and tried to ignore her. Thankfully, she didn't try and push her luck at me. Everyone was staring and I was extremely close to the Cullens. Would she try anything around them? I really didn't want to stick around to find out.

The rest of the day was a drag. Angela was in most of my classes and tried to catch up on old times. She was truly a wonderful person and I didn't want to drag her down. But Angela didn't really seem to care about the fact that my past was horrible and gruesome. Edward was my partner in Biology and he was really smart. I was really impressed by him. He really tried to make biology fun for us and it was working.

The end of the day though… that was another story.

I was heading to my truck slowly when I heard a high pitched voice say: "Hey, Ugly Swan. I need a word with you."

I stopped and closed my eyes, hoping that this wasn't happening. Tanya was finally going to get her revenge. Turning around, Tanya and the plastic witches were walking up to me with each a smoothie in their hands. Oh god… No Cullen was around to witness this since they were still inside the school, waiting for Emmett and Jasper.

"You have the guts to come back here? Figures you were just pretending to be hurt and all that crap," Lauren said as she stared at me. Tanya started sneering and her plastic witches followed her actions.

"Now, listen up." Tanya approached me until we were inches away from one another. "You've been hanging around Edward Cullen too long and now, you better step off. He's mine. He will be my man and I'd rather not have an ugly speed bump on the way," She said in the most venomous voice ever. Obviously, I was a problem in her get-Edward-to-be-mine plan. The moment I didn't answer, her nails ran along my face, leaving four long scratches on my cheek. But I didn't say anything. Tanya wouldn't get the satisfaction. But that really did hurt. "You got it Ugly Swan? Stay away from Edward Cullen!"

"Yes Tanya," I said lifelessly. Suddenly, a grin appeared on her face and she backed up at least a foot away from me.

"Just to make sure that you get the message," She started saying as she lifted the hand with her smoothie in it and lifted it above her head. Oh no… She was going to pour all of that on me. Jessica and Lauren looked at one another before lifting their hands as well. Great... Chucking my bag aside so it wouldn't get wet and closing my eyes, the plastic witches dumped their smoothies on me, the liquid entering my hair and seeping into my clothes. There were a few shocked gasps from aside, knowing that there were still kids in the parking lot and they were all witnessing the freak show. Once Tanya was finished pouring her smoothie on my head, they all started laughing at me.

"Bella?" Alice's high pitched voice rang in my head while the girls laughed. I opened my eyes slowly, trying not to get any smoothie in my eyes, and saw Alice approach me from the side. "What is going on?" She asked as she glared at Tanya and her plastic followers.

"Just teaching her a lesson," Tanya retorted with a snort. Alice's hands balled into tiny little fists. She was angry. It was obvious in her features.

"Alice, it's fine. Let's just—" I tried to say but she wouldn't listen.

"You have absolutely no right to—"

"Alice, what the hell's going on?" Rosalie shouted from aside. She was walking towards us with the angriest look on her face I've ever seen. Emmett had stayed behind, afraid to go up against her at a time like this. Good man… When she arrived in front of me, she looked me straight in the eyes and asked: "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, let's just—"

"You bitch! What the hell did you do that for? Has Bella ever done anything to you?" Rosalie practically screamed at Tanya. Tanya and her plastic witches didn't back down. They just laughed at Rosalie. "What's so damn funny?"

"The fact that you're standing up to Ugly Swan is hilarious! She's trash, nothing but wasted air." Tanya started laughing and I bowed my head in shame. Why did Rosalie and Alice have to be here to witness this?

"Don't call her that!" Alice shouted as I whipped the smoothie from my face. There was nothing that she could do anyways. Even with all of this shouting at one another, the damage was already done.

"Alice, it's nothing." My voice finally got through to her.

"Nothing? Bella, you call this _nothing_?" She asked as she pointed to my smoothie stained clothes, face and hair.

Tanya started laughing and said between laughs: "See? She's so pathetic she can't even stand up for herself! How lame is that?" The plastic witches joined into the laughter. I had enough of this. Walking away from them, I went towards my truck as the rest of the school population joined in the laughter, pointing at me and insulting me. Why did everyone have to be against me? Now it was official. I wouldn't go out for the _Romeo and Juliet _production at school; I'd stay away from anyone during school hours and… well basically I'd be a machine. No emotions, not a word spoken aloud, I'd be silent.

Driving away and towards the Cullen house, I let no tears fall down. I was sticky enough because of those smoothies that tears would only worsen things. How could I be so stupid to think that my first day back at school would be fine? God was I stupid… My clothes were sticking to my seat, just proving that the smoothie was drying. Once I drove into the Cullen driveway, Esme had seen me enter and seemed to have waited for us to come home from school. Stepping out, her expression changed once she saw me completely covered in smoothie.

"Dear, what happened?" She asked while approaching me and hovering her hands in front of me, trying to see where I wasn't covered in smoothie remains.

"I got juiced. Would it be alright if I went for a shower? This is really getting sticky," I asked while eyeing my stained clothes. Esme nodded and placed an arm around me, dragging me inside the house.

"You may take as long as you like dear," She said as I walked towards my room. Grabbing a few clothes, and walking to the bathroom, I closed the door and heard the rest of the kids arrive. Great… this wouldn't be good. I opened the faucet, took off my clothes, let the water run for a few seconds before stepping in. The water was refreshing, it washed away all of the pain Tanya had inflicted on me today. How could my life ever return to normal? Would it ever step away from all of this pain and humility? A single tear ran down my face while I let the water wash away the humility on my skin.

**Alice's Point of View**

"Ugh! How could that… that bitch do that? I mean, what did Bella ever do to deserve this?" I asked once we arrived at the house. Mom entered the kitchen with a question mark on her face.

"What's the matter?" Mom asked as we all joined her in the kitchen, fuming after what happened in the parking lot. Rosalie sat down and huffed angrily. She had been so pissed when she saw Tanya, Bella and I arguing. Edward was just shocked. He couldn't believe that Tanya would do such a thing to anyone, especially Bella. Emmett and Jasper didn't want to speak. They were as shocked as everyone but didn't want to upset further.

"What's the matter is that stupid—"

"Watch your mouth Rosalie," Mom warned.

"Sorry Mom. But stupid Tanya just humiliated Bella in front of the whole school! She just poured all of her smoothie onto Bella and trashed her!" Rosalie exclaimed angrily. Mom gasped and placed her finger on her chin, thinking strongly.

"That must be why she said she got 'juiced' at school. Bella looked horrible when coming home." Mom explained sadly.

"Wait, she was here?" Edward asked worriedly, speaking for the first time since we came into the car. He'd arrived a little too late to shout at Tanya but, knowing my big brother, he'd talk to her sooner or later.

"She's in the shower at the moment, washing up. She arrived a few minutes before you did. Bella looked so sad," Mom said, remembering Bella's look when arriving home. It wouldn't be surprising that Bella was upset. Tanya had just humiliated her and she hadn't said a word to defend herself.

"Wait 'til I get my hands on that girl… She's in for a world of hurt." Rosalie was mumbling to herself.

"Rosalie, you know that if you fight fire with fire, you'll just get burned. Nothing will be accomplished if you go up against that girl. Sure, it wasn't right what she did to Bella but we can't change what happened," Mom said. We all bowed our heads and suddenly, the water stopped running in the bathroom. Bella must be finished with her shower. We could talk to her and try to help her feel better. I mean, that's what best friends do.

We all waited impatiently for Bella to step into to kitchen and a few minutes later, she did with her hair all wet and clean, completely free of smoothie remnants. She had changed clothes—maybe hadn't chosen the right stuff to wear but I wouldn't tell her that now—and was now looking at all of us with the slightest of a smile. Unfortunately, our attention went to her cheek. It was scratched. Four long red lines covered her face and it was eminent that it hurt. Bella covered her hand on her cheek, looked at Mom and asked: "Esme, do you by any chance have anything to watch car seats? My sticky clothes kind of seeped into the seats and now, I need to clean them."

"Sure honey, let me get that for you," Mom said before exiting the room sadly. We all turned our attention back to Bella but she tried to avoid our glances by opening her new mp3—which she had bought with the rest of her music equipment—and tried to pick the right song. How could one person have so much misery in one lifetime?

"Bella, we're—"

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have stopped it," Bella said while placing one earplug in her ear. Her expression wasn't sad or happy or devastated. It was emotionless. She was blocking everything out. Not good. Just as I was about to say something, Mom came back with cleaning supplies and handed them to Bella with a sympathetic smile. "Thanks Esme," Bella said before walking out of the house.

"She's upset," Rosalie said lifelessly.

"No Rose, she's not upset. She's blocking everything and everyone out. Didn't you see her face?" I said, and everyone nodded at my statement. Bella wasn't letting us in. She wanted to deal with the pain alone.

Unfortunately, Edward wouldn't stand still. He stood up and walked out of the house, walked towards Bella and her truck. Hopefully he'd help her.

**Edward's Point of View**

I couldn't stand it any longer. Seeing Bella's face had practically killed me. How could she just stand there and do nothing? Tanya had _humiliated_ her in the worst way possible and she just… blocked everything out. And as I went outside, I saw her. She had her back to me but she was working on her truck obviously oblivious to my presence. "Bella?" I asked but she didn't respond. Bella must have her earplugs in. I remember the day that she had just received her mp3. Bella had asked me to help her and we placed as much good music as possible on it together. It was a good afternoon. We debated on all sorts of music: pop, rock, R & B, etc… "Bella?" I asked once again but a little louder. Luckily, she turned around and spotted me. She immediately took out her earplugs but kept her face expressionless.

"Sorry Edward, I didn't hear you before. What's up?" She asked nonetheless. Her voice bothered me, and so did that scratch of hers on her cheek.

"Bella, what happened to your cheek?" I asked, approaching her slowly.

Bella placed a hand on her cheek, chuckled but still kept her face expressionless and said: "Tanya had quite sharp nails," before continuing to work on the seats of her car. Bella was still listening to me, only not looking at me.

"Why did she do that to you?"

"Because of you," was her only answer.

"Me? Why me?" I asked sadly and quite shocked. Tanya would hurt Bella to get to me? Oh that bitch was going to pay!

"Because I'm too close to you. She wants you and I'm not going to intrude on that." Bella still didn't look at me but her voice became sad. "I'll stay away at school. She won't believe that I'm close to anyone at all…" Bella mumbled and that made me stop.

"You'd isolate yourself just so that others would be happy?" My question was more rhetorical than an actual question but Bella still shrugged her shoulders. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed and said: "You're the most selfless person I've ever met."

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked while looking at me. "What's wrong with wanting others to be happy before yourself?" She hopped off the truck and came to stand right in front of me. "Edward, if Tanya wants you, what am I to go against her? She can do whatever she wants."

"Do you want me?" I asked her, the question popping out of nowhere. Bella just looked at me, confused and slightly shocked at the question.

"I… I just…" She stumbled but couldn't find the words to say.

"Frankly Bella, you need to start living for yourself, not for others. I know you've had a lot of hurt in your life but it's time that you think about yourself. Maybe…"

**Alright so you probably all hate me at the moment but hey, I'm going back to my little cave and you'll get a new chapter soon. REVIEW PLEASE!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

18


	15. A first

**Alright so another long chapter for you guys and you're probably really going to hate me now, so READ AND REVIEW while I go hide again. **

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or any of the songs that I used in this chapter!**

Chapter 14

A first

**Bella's Point of View**

Edward cupped both of his hands on my face and held me still. What was he doing? Looking me straight in the eyes, he said: "Maybe this is a little impulsive but… Bella, I love you. Since the first day that I've seen you in school, you've dazzled me. I can't begin to explain how you've changed my life. Never did I want to move to this boring old place and I would have asked Mom and Dad to transfer back to San Francisco, but you changed my mind. I want to get closer to you Bella, I want to be with you." Well, that was a first. No one has ever said that they loved me before, only my mother. It's been years since anyone said that they wanted to get closer to me or even want to _be_ with me. Edward had said all of those things. But… he couldn't love me. He just couldn't. Looking away from him, I closed my eyes and tried to force the tears to stay hidden. Placing one of his hands under my chin, he made me look at him and asked: "What's wrong love?" Love…

"You… you can't love me… You just can't."

"And why can't I? Bella, it's my choice who I want to love. And I love you," He said, which just made the tears fall freely down my face.

"You can love anyone you want and you're choosing me? Obviously, you're choosing the wrong person," I said while trying to get away from him and hide my tears but he held me in place. Edward wouldn't let me go. "Edward, I'm trash. You heard Tanya and the rest of those kids. They all say the same thing," I explained and he seemed to stiffen in anger. "What's the matter?"

"I don't want you to _ever_ say that you're trash or anything like that! It's not true."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've gotten to know you during the past few weeks. And I know that you always put others above yourself. You're smart, beautiful, incredibly—"

"Stop it." My voice was rough and filled with sorrow. Keeping my eyes closed, I wouldn't look at Edward. He'd just try to make me feel better by saying lies. Opening my eyes, I looked deep into Edward's green eyes and tried to find the lies. It was difficult. "Edward, you hardly know me. You don't know what happened to me during all of those years."

"How about you help me understand?" He asked, egging me for more information. What was I supposed to do? Just pour my heart to him? It would ease the pain…

"I had a happy family," I started explaining. "My Mom, Dad and I were happy before my mother died. We'd laugh, go to the beach and be a family. When my Mom died, Dad was dead set on blaming me for her death. At the funeral, Charlie's face was like a mask, unreadable. I remember that much. The day after the funeral, his anger got the best of him. He started insulting me, saying that I was Death itself, coming to take his happiness away. Everything around me died.

"I can't say that I disagree with him. Everyone's happiness died when I was around. It still happens. When I was at school, no one would talk to me. They'd call me names, insult me, and bully me. But I just ignored everything. If I showed that it bothered me, they'd step it up a notch. When I was nine, I didn't want that to happen. So yeah, my life sucked at the time. And do you know what?" Edward didn't dare to interrupt me right now. His face was set in stone. He was mostly angry and tried to control himself, for my sake. "It got worse. When I started high school, Charlie started beating me every single day. He'd tell the kids at school all sorts of lies to make me look bad and make him look like the hero of the day.

"He'd tell them that I did drugs, beat myself up for attention, all sorts of lies. Even though they kept bullying me, I took it all. They could insult me all they wanted but I wouldn't give in. Whenever I got home, eighty percent of the time, Charlie would be drunk. Either he had a lousy day, or he kept looking at old pictures of Mom. Sometimes, he'd beat me until I'd pass out. Other times, he'd beat me until I couldn't move. Either way, I couldn't go to school, which just intensified the rumours. At some points, Charlie had said some horrible things to me that made me think of killing myself." Edward held his breath when I said that last sentence. But this didn't stop me from continuing the story. "Until the time where you came to school, I'd pretty much given up on everything. I stopped talking, paid only attention on my grades and in class, in case the teacher asked me a question, became unsocial, all of those things. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear Edward but my life was horrible. And then you guys showed up and finally showed me what a family is supposed to look like. I'm thankful for that but… no one can love me. I'm just a worthless piece of trash that hasn't been picked up yet."

It took him a while to respond but finally, he brought me in his arms, let me rest my head against his chest and whispered in my ear: "Bella, you've believed for years that you're not worth anything. Well, I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. They were all wrong to say that about you. Your 'reputation' might be horrible but Bella Swan, you _are_ worth something to everyone in that house," He pointed to the Cullen household but never stopped looking at me, "and that's all that counts. Do you understand me?" He asked softly, never truly able to make himself angry. I nodded sadly as more tears ran down my face. Edward whipped them away with his thumb and kept looking at me. "Bella, I don't care what anyone else has to say. They're just ignorant jerks. I only care about—"

"Ignorant…" I repeated to myself, stopping his sentence midway. He'd just given me a brilliant idea and a catchy tune in my head.

"What is it?" He asked as I stared past him. Never did Edward think that what he just said gave me a brilliant idea for a song, maybe two if I was lucky enough. "Bella? What is it?"

"Reputation… love…" I vaguely said, still looking past Edward.

He detached from our embrace and tried to look me in the eyes. "Bella, what's the matter?"

"I think you gave me an idea…" I said, rushing past him and into the house. Everyone looked at me while I rushed to my room, ignored all of their questions and grabbed my electric guitar. Hopefully, this tune would work. Edward ran into my room and found me tuning my guitar.

"Bella, what is it? Love, you're scaring me."

"First of all, it's not a good idea for you to call me love and second of all, you gave me an idea for a song Edward. If I'm right, I think this might work." Without hesitation, I started playing with the cords, making the tune in my head become reality. Edward never interrupted me during my little practice session. The song in my head was a rock song and it seemed to fit very well with what happened recently. Both the words that Edward had said couldn't fit in the same song. They would have to be separate but Edward still looked at me.

"That's wonderful love." He kept repeating the word again and again. And worst of all, he didn't seem to care about that. It's like I was the right kind of love for him. But maybe…

"Ok, you're going to have to leave. I can't work with others in the room," I said while grabbing a pen and paper and going to work on my bed. Edward seemed to hesitate but left anyways without another word.

Yes, that was technically a reason to avoid Edward's 'I love you' speech. Frankly, I knew that no one wanted to be with me. Charlie had made that obvious. But… what wasn't expected was that I would be so worked up over something completely obvious. Edward had said he loved me. Sure, I loved him in return and wanted to be with him but… his reputation would plummet and my horrible reputation might get even worse. I would not do that do him or his family.

It was bad enough I would have to deal with Tanya tomorrow.

Ah hell… what would I do about her?

_Come on Bella, don't worry about Tanya right now. She's not worth the time,_ I thought to myself while continuing to write the songs. So far, I had the lyrics for both songs done by the time supper came. If an all-nighter was what it would take to finish these songs, then I would do it. Thanks to Edward, I'd have two songs done by tomorrow. I think Mom would be proud of me, if she were still here with me.

I spent all night trying to come up with the music to the songs. It went well, up to the point where I had writers block around two o'clock in the morning. Esme had tried to get me to go to sleep but, after explaining to her that I was on a roll, she told me that I would have only a few hours left. So, reluctantly, I went to bed but waited until Carlisle and Esme were in bed before continuing with my song writing. No one was the wisest.

When waking up that morning, I felt horrible of course. One night without sleep really tired me out but I finished both of the songs. Yawning like crazy, I woke up and went to get some breakfast. "Well, good morning. Someone looks tired this morning," Alice mocked while I sat beside her at the counter.

"Yeah well, I finished writing until five o'clock this morning." Esme turned around and had shock written all over her features.

"Isabella Swan, you stayed up until _five o'clock _this morning to write songs?" She practically scolded me. Flinching slightly, I tried to compose myself and tell her the truth.

"I'm sorry Esme but at some point, I couldn't sleep and started writing. It won't happen again, I promise."

She glared at me for a few seconds before sighing and pointing her spatula at me. "Make sure it doesn't, Bella. You need rest to be able to function at school," She said before returning to her pancakes.

"Will do Esme," I said before munching on a pancake.

"So, are we going to hear your song soon?" Alice asked impatiently.

I gulped the bite and asked: "Song? Don't you mean _songs_?"

Both Esme and Alice had shocked expressions on their faces as they stared me down. "Songs? And you finished them both last night?" Esme asked surprisingly, completely forgetting her anger.

"Well, this morning yeah. I think they sound good."

"Then you're going to have to play them for us!" Alice chimed with happiness as she bounced in her chair. Esme completely forgot about the fact that I had stayed up until five o'clock this morning to finish my songs once again and came straight to hug me.

"I'm so proud of you dear. You're finally fulfilling your dream," She said with such heart that it almost made me cry of joy. They really cared for me. No one has ever treated me like that. It still felt awkward but in a good way.

"Yeah, but I hope this time, when I perform them, it won't be because _someone_," Eyeing Alice and Esme, they stiffened a little out of guilt, "forced me to."

"Honey, we weren't forcing you," Esme said sadly.

"Yeah, we were just trying to lead you in the right direction," Alice finished with a guilty smile. Laughing half-heartedly, they started laughing with me.

I stopped suddenly and said: "If you ever do that again, you're going to get it." Mostly, I was pointing that threat to Alice. She bowed her head as Esme released me and went back to cooking. Suddenly, Edward and Rosalie came down the stairs, sitting down next to us at the counter. Edward sat next to me as Rosalie sat down next to her sister.

"Good morning," Edward said, leaving the 'love' part out. He must not have told the rest of the family about his little speech from yesterday.

"Morning Edward." Edward looked a little offended when I looked away from him.

"Alright, you guys are a little late so, I'm just going to give you guys a to-go breakfast and you'll be on your way," Esme said as she handed Rosalie and Edward a plate with sausage and eggs on it. _That's to-go?_ I thought as Rosalie and Edward ate fast. In minutes, we were out of the house and going towards our cars.

Just as I was about to enter my truck, a hand was placed on my shoulder. Turning around, Edward was standing right in front of me. "I don't believe we were done with our conversation yesterday."

"You're quite persistent, aren't you?"

"I'm not trying to be pushy. It's just… you opened yourself to me and then, you leave."

"I'm sorry about that. When I get inspiration, these sort of things kind of happen," I tried to explain but he seemed to see right through my lie. Sighing, I said: "How about we talk about it tonight? I don't want to be late." Ok, that was a really lame excuse but he bought it with a sigh.

"Alright, I'll see you at school." His voice was filled with sadness and pain. Oh, did I _have_ to hurt everyone around me? Sighing deeply, I got into my truck and drove off to school sadly.

When arriving, someone expected was waiting for me in the parking lot with another smoothie in hand. She starts early with those things… Sighing once again—man, I was doing that a lot this morning—I stepped out of my truck and faced my utter doom. "Well, looks like Ugly Swan showed up today. She should have just stayed home and beat herself for attention," Tanya said, which made everyone laugh. Edward and the others stood behind me, anger flooding through them. Placing an arm behind me to stop them, they stood behind me, glaring at Tanya and her plastic witches.

"Yeah, like she actually needs more attention," Jessica sneered and that made my hands bawl into fists.

"We also heard Mr. Berty say that he wants you to be their Juliet. What a load of bull! Everyone would just run out of the theatre when you enter! No one wants to see Ugly Swan on stage, much less in public," Tanya mocked and laughed loudly afterwards. My mouth literally fell open. How did she figure that out? She's not that smart so, Tanya must have had someone look into it for her. "Unlike you, there's someone who would be _perfect_ for the role, such as moi." Tanya fanned herself with her hand, as if she was already a big star. "I can't believe Mr. Berty hasn't asked me to audition right now. I mean, who could be better for the part?" Everyone started cheering and most of them laughed at me, causing me to start shaking.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The one thing she couldn't take from me was my talent for literature. To prove my point, I took a deep breath, started walking towards Tanya and repeated part of Juliet's monologue.

_Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring! _

_Your tributary drops belong to woe, _

_Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy. _

_My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; _

_And Tybalt's dead, that would have slain my husband. _

_All this is comfort; wherefore weep I then? _

_Some word there was, worser than Tybalt's death, _

_That murd'red me. I would forget it fain; _

_But O, it presses to my memory _

_Like damnèd guilty deeds to sinners' minds! _

_'Tybalt is dead, and Romeo--banishèd!' _

_That 'banishèd,' that one word 'banishèd,' _

_Hath slain ten thousand Tybalts. Tybalt's death _

_Was woe enough, if it had ended there; …_

_There is no end, no limit, measure, bound, _

_In that word's death; no words can that woe sound. _

"There's one thing that you can take from me Tanya and that's my dignity but when you start insulting me about literature, that's when I draw the line. Say all you want about me but you can't take away what I love," I said, standing up for myself for the first time in my life. "That's right, I know _Romeo and Juliet_ off by heart. Got a problem with that?"

"I sure don't," A female voice said from the side. Turning my head to the side, I saw that Mrs. Goss was standing right in front of us, her eyes held amazement. "I've never seen anyone recite Juliet's monologue by _heart_! That was incredible, Miss Swan. I do believe that I have found my Juliet."

"What?" Tanya practically screeched in surprise and shock.

"I'll give you the script—if you actually need one—tomorrow. Now, if only I could find my Romeo…" Mrs. Goss mumbled mostly to herself. Suddenly, an angel's voice came from behind me and started reciting Romeo's monologue.

_But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? _

_It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! _

_Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, _

_Who is already sick and pale with grief _

_That thou her maid art far more fair than she. _

_Be not her maid, since she is envious. …_

_Having some business, do entreat her eyes _

_To twinkle in their spheres till they return. _

_What if her eyes were there, they in her head? _

_The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars _

_As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven _

_Would through the airy region stream so bright _

_That birds would sing and think it were not night. _

I turned around and saw Edward approaching me slowly and placing an arm around my waist, surprising me. Mrs. Goss and the rest of the student body just looked at the both of us. "Incredible! I've never seen such performances! Mr. Cullen, you're our Romeo! Both of you, come by my room around Lunch time and you're your scripts, if you even need it," Mrs. Goss said before entering the school, along with a few other students. She was really surprised. A smile came to my face because of that.

Tanya had her mouth open and, as I walked towards her, I whispered in her ear: "Close your mouth. Flies will enter if you don't," and took off into the school with the Cullens right behind me.

Having Edward beside me was a real stress reliever. His arm was still around my waist as we walked in the hallways. Edward really wanted to be with me. That little act in the parking lot proved it. Looking up at Edward's face, he had a large smile. What was he thinking? Whatever he was thinking must be quite happy because his smile didn't fade with time. Alice and Rosalie were chattering in the back about our little performance in the parking lot. I finally realized something as we walked in the hallways.

In the past few days, many things had happened. One: Tanya had made me feel inferior to everyone else. Two: Edward had told me he loved me. Three: I had, for the first time in my life, stood up for myself. Four: I'd finally tell Edward my feelings.

Pulling Edward to the side of the hallway, he looked me deep into my eyes, the smile on his face fading to a serious line. "Edward, I have something to tell you." He looked at me and made a waving motion with his hand for me to continue. "I should have said this yesterday but… I love you too."

**Alright, so in this chapter, I went against all of you, in some point. And the two songs that I did were **_**Ignorance**_** by**_** Paramore**_** and **_**Right Kind of Wrong**_** by Le'Ann Rimes. They're really good songs and I suggest you look them up. So, I'm going back to my little cave while you all REVIEW!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

15


	16. Right kind of love

**Alright so here's a short chapter but it's filled with feelings and everything. Sorry it took a while but frankly, I was hoping that I'd get 90 reviews and guess what? I DID THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! I LOVE YOU GUYS! So READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or any of the songs in this chapter!**

Chapter 15

Right kind of love

**Edward's Point of View**

A smile lit up on my face. Bella had just said she loved me back. That was my number one fear, that she wouldn't feel the same way for me. "I… It was hard for me to tell you that but… I somehow wanted you to know that. I can't believe I just said that… So long after you told me you loved me. You probably stopped feeling that way about me. I'll just… go…" Bella mumbled to herself and tried to walk away from me.

_Come on Edward! Get past your happiness and stop her!_ My thoughts repeated as Bella started walking away. Grabbing her wrist, I stopped her and made her turn around to face me. "Don't go." Bella looked me straight in the eyes and, a few seconds later, approached me. Still holding her wrist, I saw everything in her eyes: the pain from years past, the loneliness, the suffering.

If anything, I would make that go away. No, I _will_ make it go away. Just as I was about to speak, a few kids passed by, looked at us and started laughing. "Check it out! Ugly Swan wants some of Cullen's attention," One of the kids said between laughter. Bella closed her eyes and tried to block them out. How could they be so clueless?

"Yeah, she's probably asking him to beat her for attention," Another student said as they all walked away laughing. Looking at Bella, she had her eyes closed and looked away from me. My hands balled into fists of anger.

"See? This is why I didn't want to tell you. _This_ is what would happen. Your reputation would plummet," She said, barely above a whisper.

Placing both hands on her shoulders, she looked up at me with glassy brown eyes. "Bella, I don't care about my reputation. And I definitely don't care what those stupid kids say about _me_. I care what they say about _you_. Right now, you and your feelings are the only thing that matters," I answered honestly, looking into those beautiful eyes of hers. A small smile formed on her lips and that made me smile. What a wonderful smile she had. It dazzled me every time I saw it. "See? You should smile more; it makes you even more stunning."

Her smile grew wider and it made me smile even wider. Even with all of the drama that has been going on at this school for years, she still had a smile on her face. This girl was just so selfless. She didn't care about herself, only those around you. "Thank you Edward," Bella said, her voice filled with happiness.

"Now, how about you say we go to class?" I suggested, intertwining her fingers through mine. Her eyes were dazzling with fresh tears as some ran down her beautiful cheeks. Whipping them away with my thumb, Bella nodded and we walked off to class together, hand in hand, ignoring all of the stares the students gave us.

Bella had been smiling most of the day. The word _most_ being underlined. Again, the students of this school bullied her and made her self-esteem drop immensely but she didn't seem to let it show. This girl was so strong. No one could handle this much bullying and humiliation without either having suicidal thoughts or even worse… cutting and depression. Maybe the fact that Charlie had abused her so much, it might have made her stronger. But now she wouldn't have to do it alone. I'd be with her every step of the way.

We went home separately, which made my heart quench. It was harder now to stay away from Bella. All the sorrow in her eyes was just an indication that I needed to help her through all the emotional pain she's going through.

Getting home, Bella had arrived minutes after I did but I waited for her.

"You didn't have to wait for me, you know," Bella answered with a mock tone as she exited her truck and approached me. Her smile told me that she was feeling a lot better coming home than to be at school.

"Yeah well, that's what a good boyfriend's supposed to do," I told her, placing my hands on her arms when she stopped right in front of me.

Her eyes became wide at the word. Had it been too soon to use to 'b' word? "Boy… boyfriend?" She stuttered, shocked as ever.

"Was it too soon?" Please say no. Please say no. Please say no…

"No, it's alright. I… I like the sound of it," She said with a smile as we entered the house, her leaning into my arm. Alice and Rosalie had large grins on their faces, seeing Bella and I together.

"Hey you two," Alice responded with that large grin of hers still on that petite face of hers. Man that girl was annoying sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"Hi Alice," Bella said, rolling her eyes at my sister. "I'm stealing your brother for a minute or two." Me? What did I do? Looking down, Bella lifted her head and stared at me. "I actually need to show him something," Bella said, her smile returning to that beautiful and wonderful face of hers.

"Um… alright?" Bella dragged me to her room but unfortunately, Alice and Rosalie whistled while we passed by them. They were happy, probably ecstatic. They'd wanted this to happen for a while now and it was finally happening. Just as we entered Bella's room, I asked: "Bella, what's this about?"

She closed the door behind her and looked at me, love finally entering those chocolate brown eyes. "Edward, I wrote two songs last night, right after you gave me that burst of inspiration."

"Bella! That's amazing!" I exclaimed happily, glad that she was still writing her songs after all the bullying and humiliation from Tanya.

"Yeah, and there's one that I kind of want to show you." She moved towards her piano slowly but surely confidently. That's my girl. There's the confidence I've been looking for. Reaching for her computer, I went towards one of the vacant chairs and sat on it. Bella grabbed her laptop and placed it next to me. "I just need you to press play when I give you the signal. Is that alright?"

"You just do what you need to do Bella. I'll be here one hundred percent," I told her honestly and flashed her one of my many crooked smiles. She blushed and went over to her piano. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on the keys and, seconds later, started playing a wonderful strong.

It was beautiful. Her words, the vocals, the instruments used in the songs, everything fit beautifully together. My Bella, pouring her heart and soul into these songs… it was the most joyous thing I'd ever witness in my life. This girl would go far in life, I just knew it. And to think that she loved me back…

From time to time, Bella would look at me and smile one of the most carefree smiles I'd seen since she arrived here. This woman dazzled me every time she would lift her eyes and they would land on me. How could I be so lucky? There would be no one else that I would rather be with than with Bella Swan. She brought out the life in me and made me a better person. But Bella didn't just change me, she changed my family. Before, Rosalie never cared about anyone but herself. Now, she has Emmett and a best friend like Bella. Alice… well she never really had that many friends, you know, because of the age difference. Everyone thought that she was too immature for her age and that she should change. But now, she had Bella as a best friend—and practically sister—but also, Alice had confidence in herself that she was wanted here. Mom and Dad… well, they haven't really changed. Mom's more open with Bella than normal and Dad's trying to act fatherly towards her. Usually, they would never do that with any of our friends.

Bella really changed us all.

As Bella neared the end, she sounded much more alive than before. Her voice rose with the chorus and her happiness shined with every word sung. Once the song was over, Bella removed her fingers from the keys and looked down. "Bella… that was wonderful," were my only words. She had made me speechless. Her head rose and Bella's brown eyes met mine in perfect sync.

"It's called _Right kind of Wrong_. I wrote it in both of our perspectives. After… well, when you said yesterday that—"

"No need to explain. Your song was self-explanatory. And it was the most wonderful thing I've ever heard." Rising from my seat, I walked over to Bella's bed and sat beside her. Bella's eyes never left mine. Placing a hand on her cheek, she closed her eyes and leaned into it easily, enjoying the sensation of having me close to her. "You're the most wonderful person I've ever met, Bella."

"Funny, my sentiments exactly." She chuckled softly but still leaned into my hand. Placing my other one on her other cheek, she opened her eyes and looked at me with hesitation and love.

"Why are you hesitant, love?"

She laughed and asked: "How'd you know I was hesitant?"

"I can read you very well," I told her honestly, shining my crooked grin once again.

"Funny, my mother always called me her open book. Anyone can read my emotions, they're easy to tell," She answered softly. Placing my forehead slowly against hers, Bella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Edward, thank you for being a part of my life."

"No need to thank me, love. I'll always be here for you," I answered, barely over a whisper. Suddenly, I lifted my head and leaned closer to Bella. Her head stayed still as my lips crushed hers softly. It was a wonderful emotion. Her lips were so soft, so energetic, just like Bella. Bella didn't cower from my kiss. She pressed forward, running her fingers through my hair as I placed my hands on her waist, enjoying everything about her. I could feel her scars, the scars that Charlie had placed upon her. A small ounce of sadness fell upon me.

"Don't think about it. It's fine," She whispered against my lips. Looking into her deep brown eyes, I saw only honesty and happiness. This was probably one of the happiest moments of her life in the past eight years for Bella. A smile formed on my lips as our lips met once more.

This continued on for a few more minutes before both of us needed to stop to breathe. After a few deep breaths, we looked into each others eyes and Bella leaned into my chest, just cuddling there on her bed. "Can I ask you a favour Edward?" She asked while I rubbed some soothing circles on her arms, telling her that I loved her.

"Yes love?"

"Could you stay with me tonight? The nightmares… they keep coming back…" She whispered, clutching my shirt harder than before. Bella was asking for my help.

A smile formed on my lips as I said: "Of course love. I'll always be there to make the nightmares go away. You can count on me." I kissed the top of her head and we stayed like this all night, just in each other's arms, like the way it should be.

**So, did I write the kissing scene right? I hope I did… Well, REVIEW PLEASE! I WANT TO AT LEAST REACH 100 REVIEWS PLEASE! **

**Bellacullenswan17**

9


	17. A little game

**Alright guys, so this is an actually VERY FUNNY chapter so I hope you guys like it! READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or the video I used in this chapter!**

Chapter 16

A little game

**Bella's Point of View**

Edward and I had gotten to know each other on completely different levels. Ever since that first kiss, I'd wanted to have Edward by my side most of the time. He felt the same way. Every day, we'd know something about one another that was unknown before. I'd told Edward about my mother and my past. He'd told me that during his youth, he had been sick many times. Once, Edward was so fatal that he might have actually died. Luckily, he was still here with me today. The moment he told me that, my heart clenched and my breath hitched. It was impossible to believe that he could have been taken away from me at such a young age. At nights, Edward would stay with me until we both had to go to bed. The nightmares kept on coming, this time even stronger. Most of the time, Tanya would now be in the background, taunting me. Charlie always found a way to kill me and those I love. But my mom was always there, telling me to wake up. It made me feel better seeing my mother. Her presence was reassuring and most certainly a relief. She was the only reminder of my happy childhood.

Unfortunately, now that my leg was all healed, it gave Alice the opportunity to take me… ugh… shopping. For one whole day, I think she spent about two hundred dollars on clothes and shoes. I mean, come on! Who spends that much money on clothes anyways? And she even bought my stuff! That woman is very stubborn. Even Rosalie tagged along. Trust me, do _not_ bring the two of them shopping or else, there will be nothing left in the stores. It's that bad… But it made them both happy so, I couldn't argue. And the best thing was that Edward would hold me in his arms whenever I came back home.

Esme and Carlisle had started to treat me as part of the family. Part of me felt ecstatic beyond belief that they considered me a part of the family but… another part of me felt guilty for them. Charlie was stalking me, waiting for one moment where I was alone and he could get to me. The thought always burned in my mind, but Edward was always there to remind me that they would be there one hundred percent of the way.

One day, I was in the living room, reading _Wuthering Heights _when suddenly, Alice and the gang entered the house with large smiles on their faces. Looking up, I noticed that Edward wasn't there. Where was he? "Hey Bella!" Alice chimed in, dragging Jasper in the house, followed by Rosalie with Emmett by her side.

"Hey guys, where's Edward?" I asked, putting my book aside and walking towards the kitchen where the gang was situated. Emmett burst into laughter at my question, which made me question _him_. "What's so funny?"

"Of course that's the _only_ thing you think about," He said between laughter fits.

"Oh shut up." Rolling my eyes at him, I turned my attention to the others. "Ok guys, so where's Edward?" I asked, hoping to get at least some sort of answer.

"He had to do some errands for Mom but he'll be back in a while," Rosalie answered with a smile as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. Emmett enticed his arms around her waist and she leaned into him caringly. They looked so good together. Alice leaned into Jasper's arm, enjoying the fact that he was at least a head or two taller than she was.

"So, what's on the agenda for the rest of the day?"

"Well, we were thinking of having a little fun, since the house is empty." Alice ran her finger down Jasper's chest and gazed into his eyes.

Closing my eyes, I sighed and said: "Ok Alice, I think you're a little young to be doing that. And besides, I'm in the house." Alice's mouth automatically popped up as she followed my train of thought. Rosalie burst into laughter as Emmett gawked at me.

"Wow… Bella has some dark thoughts!" Emmett boomed with his childish voice.

"Bella, that's not what I was thinking _at all_! Besides, I'll do that in a few years," Alice said, brushing my remark off. "No, I was thinking that maybe we could play a little 'truth or dare'." Looking around the room, everyone seemed to agree with the idea. Frankly, I've never played the game but I've heard about it.

"Alright, how do you play?" Everyone's mouth plopped open and kept on staring at me. "What?" I asked, wanting them to stop gawking at me like that. It was making me uncomfortable and a little confused.

"Bella, that's the basic game played at sleepovers!" Alice exclaimed surprisingly. Giving her a look, she composed herself, understanding the reason behind my look and mumbled a: "Sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."

I smiled at her and said: "It's alright Alice. So, what's truth or dare?"

"Frankly, you just spin a bottle and the person it lands on, you ask them if they will pick truth or dare. If they say truth, you ask them something and they have to answer with the most honesty possible. If they choose dare, you give them something completely ridiculous to do and they _have_ to do it," Jasper explained as best as possible.

"Alright, well that sounds fun. I say we do it," I said and everyone agreed. Rosalie grabbed an empty soda bottle from the recycling bin and came to join our circle in the living room. This was going to be interesting…

"But remember, everything that's said right now stays in this room, alright?" Rosalie asked and everyone nodded, agreeing with her one hundred percent.

"Alright, I'll go first," Alice said as she spun the bottle and it pointed straight to Rosalie. A smile was formed upon Alice's lips as she looked at her sister. "Alright Rose, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Rosalie said without a doubt.

"Oh, that's no fun. I know pretty much everything about you!" Alice whined with a little pout. Rosalie's grin just got wider.

"Too bad little sister, you have to ask me something," Rosalie said, crossing her arms in victory. Alice's forehead scrunched up as she thought of her question.

"Um… alright, what's the shortest amount of time you've been with one guy?"

"About… an hour, maybe two." Wow… she must have dumped those guys on their butts pretty quickly. But frankly, I could see Rosalie doing that. If the guy wasn't right for her, she would probably just dump him. Emmett looked at her with a happy face and placed a hand on her knee. "Love you Emmy," She said before kissing him squarely on the lips.

"Ew… alright Rosalie, you're next," I said, interrupting her make out session. Rosalie turned the bottle and, unfortunately, it landed on me. Great…

"Alright Bella, truth or dare?" Rosalie asked. Well, that question was obvious.

"Dare," I said without hesitation. Rosalie looked at me questionably and shrugged seconds later.

"Alright, I dare you to…" She thought about it for a second before saying: "kiss Jasper."

Alice turned to her sister with a shocked expression. "Hey!" She shouted, glaring at her sister. This wasn't fair. Why did I have to kiss Jasper? But there was a loop hole behind Rosalie's dare…

"Alright, I'll do it." Leaning towards Jasper, his expression was scared and frankly, shocked. Leaning towards his lips, I turned at the last minute and gave him a kiss on the cheek, just like a sister would. A smile formed on his face as he saw what I just did. "There." Alice smiled at me and leaned into her boyfriend.

"Hey, that's not fair! You were supposed to kiss him!" Rosalie stated.

"I did, you just didn't specify where." A grin planted itself on my face as she scowled, realising her mistake.

We continued the game for a little while, asking the most random and hilarious questions anyone could come up with for at least half an hour. Frankly, this was the most fun I had in a long time. Jasper was dared to lick the bottom of the couch, Emmett had to tell the truth about how many times he would get drunk in a week—frankly, that one was just funny. Apparently, he would go around the neighbourhood naked and scream at the top of his lungs that he was drunk—and Alice was dared not to shop for the next week. It killed her to do so but she agreed to do it. Rosalie was dared to take off her top—you can guess who made her do that, right?—and she did without hesitation.

"Bella, why do you always do dare? Sure it's entertaining but why?" Emmett asked. It was true, every time the bottle pointed to me, I'd choose dare.

"Well Emmett, to tell you the truth, it'd be pretty boring for all of you if I took truth. All of your questions would be unanswered since I've never done anything like that before," I answered honestly as it was my turn to spin the bottle.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. The bastard never let you have any fun," Rosalie mumbled sadly as the bottle finished spinning and landed on none other than Emmett. A grin came upon my face. Let's hope Emmett picks dare… I've got the perfect dare for him!

"Alright Emmett, truth or dare?" I asked him, placing a hand under my chin and waiting for his answer.

"Well Bellsy, I choose…" Please say dare, please say dare, please say dare, "dare." Yes! My grin just grew wider at the thought of my next plan.

"Oh, you're going to regret this…" The smile that had once slithered onto Emmett's face disappeared in an instant. "I dare you to put on some black tights, get a pair of stilettos and dance to the song _Single Ladies_, just like Joe Jonas did. _And_ we're going to film it," I said with the largest grin ever. Everyone just looked at me with a confused face as they wondered about the dare. "Oh come on, you've never seen Joe Jonas dancing to _Single Ladies_?" Everyone shook their heads. I sighed, ran to my room, grabbed my laptop and ran back to the circle. Opening the Internet, I searched for the video and pressed play. "Check it out."

Everyone looked at the screen and waited for Joe Jonas to start dancing. When it started, everyone's mouths fell. It was hilarious to see. They all laughed at the video, all except for Emmett. He just looked shocked at his dare. "Oh come on Bells! You can't possibly make me do this!" He whined as the video came to an end.

"Actually, you have to do it. You can't say no to the dare once it's been said. Rosalie, do you have a pair of black tights?" She nodded with a smile on her face. Rose was going to enjoy this… "And I have a pair of stilettos that Emmett could borrow. They might be a little small for him though…"

"Oh come on Rosie… Don't make me do this," He whined, placing his arms around Rosalie's waist and bringing her close.

"Sorry Emmy but you have to do it. So, let's get you suited and ready to dance," She said while grabbing his wrist and dragging him up the stairs to her room. Luckily, they didn't take too long as we grabbed the stereo, readied the song and grabbed the nearest video camera. A few moments later, Rosalie came downstairs alone. "He's coming down slowly. Emmett's a little embarrassed to do this."

"Oh come on, it can't be as bad as running around naked, shouting that he's drunk," I whined.

"That's private!" Emmett shouted from the top of the staircase. "And remember, that stays in this room! No one talks about it."

"We already promised that Emmett. Now come down and get this over with as fast as possible. We're not going to show this to anyone. Come on down," Rosalie encouraged him and, reluctantly, Emmett came down shakily, wearing three inch stilettos and black tights. I tried to hide my laughter but wasn't successful. My laughter made him sigh and turned around, heading for the stairs again. Luckily, Jasper stopped him.

"Guys, this isn't funny!" Emmett whined but still held happiness in his voice. Even when he looked unbelievably silly, he still managed to hold a smile.

"Alright, we'll stop. Now, how about we start this and get it over with?" I asked and Emmett unwillingly went to the middle of the room. Pressing the record button, Alice pressed the play button and Emmett started dancing just like Joe Jonas dancing to _Single Ladies_. Luckily, I had the camera on mute and everyone started laughing at him. Emmett didn't stop and he made a complete fool of himself. It was the most funniest thing I'd ever seen, and it was happening in front of my very eyes. Unbelievable…

Someone entered the house and started laughing as well. Turning my head, I saw that Edward had returned with a few grocery bags in his hands. His laugh was unbelievably wonderful. I'd never heard something as wonderful as that. He placed the grocery bags on the counter of the kitchen and approached me, placing an arm around my waist. "What's this all about? And can I get myself a copy of this?" Edward asked between laughs.

"Actually, it'll be on my computer alone if anyone wants to watch it. And trust me, I'll be watching this non-stop," I said as Emmett continued to dance around like an idiot. We all watched Emmett's performance as it came to an end.

"Alright, it's done," Emmett said, posing for us after his little dance.

"You're the most childish person I've ever met Emmett, but I love you for it," I said, giving him a hug for his performance.

"How about I steal Bella away from all of you and have myself a little alone time with her?" Edward said, bringing me into his arms. I leaned against him and nodded, agreeing with Edward completely.

Everyone told us their goodbyes as we went to his room. We sat on his bed as he kissed me. "How was your day?" I asked him, stopping his kisses.

"Too long because I was away from you," He said while placing his hand on my cheek. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," I said, waiting for his lips to meet mine. And luckily, they did moments later. Whenever his lips met mine, a fire raged inside of me. Edward Cullen had made me feel things I'd never felt in a long time as his lips came upon mine. I would never want to be separated from him…

**So, what did you think of Emmett's little dance? If any of you haven't actually seen this video, go on youtube, type "Joe Jonas dances to single ladies" and it's the first one you'll find. I recommend you guys watch it. So please, REVIEW WHAT YOU THINK!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	18. An exchange

**Alright guys, here's a suspenseful chapter for you all. I hope you guys will love it! So READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 17

An exchange

**Bella's Point of View**

Everything had been going so well. I'd never been so happy in my life.

The weeks kept on coming and nothing happened. Charlie hadn't tried to find me again. But he wasn't found either. I was able to help Esme around the house now. She would actually let me wash the dishes or help her paint when coming home from school. Carlisle was teaching me a few things about medicine. It was nice of him and it helped me understand his job even more. Emmett and Jasper had been coming to the house almost every day, going to see Alice and Rosalie. I hadn't showed anyone the 'Emmett dancing to _Single Ladies_' video but it was still on my computer, changing my mood whenever I was down. Alice, Rosalie and I… well, our friendship wasn't any longer just best friends. It felt like we were sisters. We'd tell each other pretty much everything. They trusted me even more now, forgetting about my past—which I'm thankful for.

Edward and I had made it official. We were now a couple. He'd bought me—ok, I know it's cheesy but it's actually adorable at the same time—boyfriend/girlfriend golden rings, inscribed inside 'And so the lion fell in love with the lamb'. Frankly, I found it cute and very official. When he gave it to me, Edward had told me that the first time we met, it was like he was the lion and I was the frail lamb. But the lion fell in love with the lamb in the end. Edward might be cheesy at times but he's the one person I can count on more than anything. He's always there for me.

After school, Edward and I would practice our lines for the _Romeo and Juliet_ production. Mrs. Goss said that we were very good. Tanya was the nurse, and every single time she would gaze at me, her eyes shot daggers. At first, it was amusing, seeing Tanya so jealous over me but afterwards, I felt guilty Even if I was just the Ugly Swan, Tanya still should have had her stand in the spotlight. It shouldn't have been stolen from her because of me. Edward had told me that Tanya didn't deserve it but the ping of guilt still stayed within me. I tried to put it past me but with those death glares from Tanya, it was really hard.

One day after English, we were walking and laughing when I noticed that Alice hadn't been with us during the first class. It made me worry about her. What if she was sick or something? Did she go home? "Hey guys, has anyone seen Alice?" I asked which made everyone stop talking and look at me with a confused look.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her for a while," Jasper said, his tone filled with worry. He loved Alice more than anything. Having her missing was one of the worst things that could happen to him. It would break Jasper to pieces. "Anyone else has seen her?"

"Not since this morning," Rosalie answered, her tone gone sour. After all, it was her sister that was missing. Who wouldn't be upset about that?

"She took her car to come here but I haven't seen her enter the school. We were actually running late. I can't see why she's not here…" Edward said, his arm tightening around my waist. Everyone looked at us in the hallways, making me feel a little uncomfortable and slightly irritated. I wish that they would forget those horrible rumours Charlie had started so many years ago… Suddenly, the bell rang and everyone stopped walking. "Alright, I guess we should go to class."

"I'm just going to skip. It's worrying me. Alice might be hurt somewhere," Jasper said, looking towards the exit of the school. He was obviously love struck but it was true. His worry was eminent in his eyes and was reflected everywhere around the table. We nodded and went towards class when suddenly, my phone—yeah that's right, I bought myself a phone—started buzzing, indicating I got either a call or a text.

Edward looked at me worriedly but I brushed his worry off by saying: "I'll meet you in class. Just going to check this message." He looked at me a few seconds before kissing my cheek, giving me his famous crooked smile and walked towards his next class.

Opening my phone, I read the text message and a look of confusion and shock made its way onto my face.

**From: Unknown**

**To: Bella**

**I have your friend. Come and meet me in the forest behind FHS or you'll never see her again. You better come Isabella.**

This was an unknown number… And they knew my name. Were they referring to Alice? How did they know she was missing? Suddenly, my eyes opened wide. I ran outside as my mind pondered over one thought: Charlie had Alice. He was using her to get to me. Damn it! I knew this would happen! She wouldn't get hurt because of me. I will make sure of that. Running out of the school, I looked around and found no one outside. Perfect. No one would bother me. Just as I was about to walk over to the forest, someone's voice made me stop abruptly. "Bella, what are you doing?"

Turning around, I found that Jasper was walking towards me, his worry still written on his face.

"Um… I was just… going for a stroll?" I asked which he didn't seem to buy. Sighing, I gave in. "Alright, fine you win." A smile made its way onto his face as he stood in front of me. "I think I have an idea of where Alice is," Jasper's face lit up with hope but I stopped him before he could ask anymore questions, "but I'm going to need to figure this out alone." It was horrible to lie to Jasper, knowing that he would want to know where his girlfriend was but Charlie could not get to him. Charlie already had Alice and that was enough for me. She would get out safely, that's for sure.

"Why alone? Bella, that's a forest. There could be something out there. Charlie could be out there looking for you." Damn it! He was thinking about _me_ when his girlfriend was out there, hopefully unharmed, with Charlie. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"Jasper, I'm just going to look around. She's my best friend and your girlfriend. We're both worried about her, so is the rest of the gang. Rosalie and Edward are missing a sister; Emmett's missing a friend as well… I'm going to go look for Alice in that forest and you should look around the neighbourhood. Edward said that she got out of her car but never came inside the school. Maybe she's still in the area," I said, walking towards the forest but, once again, Jasper had to stop me by grabbing my wrist.

"Bella, if you find anything, give me a call. You have my number," Jasper said with a cautious smile. Letting my wrist go, we both walked our separate ways. A stray tear fell down my cheeks as I walked away from Jasper, probably never going to see him again. "Be careful Bella!" He shouted at me, walking around the corner and looking around, shouting Alice's name.

"Goodbye Jasper…" I whispered while walking into the forest, tears running down my face. This was the end of the road for me. Charlie would want to probably kill me, just luring me to him because he held Alice hostage. I'd never see Rosalie or Emmett or… Edward. Tears poured down my face at the thought of leaving Edward. I'd never see his bronze hair or those beautiful green orbs or… him again. Looking back at the school, it looked so far away, _he_ was so far away. "Goodbye Edward… I love you…" were my final words as I walked further into the forest, further away from my love.

Walking forward, I could see two people standing in the middle of the forest, one person pacing around holding a gun while the other was sitting on a log. While approaching the middle of the forest, I could make out the two people in front of me. Charlie was pacing around impatiently, keeping his gun pointing towards Alice's head. She was sitting there, fear covering her features as she looked at my father. When walking towards them, Alice's head faced me and shock filled her eyes. "Bella?" She asked surprisingly while standing up. Charlie spun around, noticing me and recovering himself. He grabbed a hold of Alice, placing an arm around her shoulders as well as her neck and placing the tip of the gun against her head, ready and armed.

"Don't hurt her!" I screamed, hoping he wouldn't fire. Alice placed both of her hands on his arms, trying to release his hold on her but it was nearly impossible. Charlie was way too strong.

"Bella, get away from here! He's after you!" Alice screamed at me. But I just looked at her, unable to do much more.

"What do you want from her?" I asked Charlie as he smirked at me, knowing I'd give myself willingly to him if Alice was still alive. She wouldn't get hurt, not on my watch.

"Oh, I don't want her. I want you, and she was the hostage. Get it bitch?" He said, using his foul language to anger Alice even more.

"Don't call her—" But Alice was cut off when Charlie placed the gun right under her cheek bone, scaring her even more. Fear held me. Would he actually shoot her just to get to me? He better not. Charlie seemed to be armed with much more than a gun. Frankly, I didn't want to know what he was holding. It would endanger Alice's life too much.

"Shut up," Charlie threatened as he held Alice even tighter, hurting her. Taking a step forward, Charlie looked at me. "So, I see you got my text."

"Yes I did. So, now I'm here. You can let Alice go. She has nothing to do with this. It's me you want. So let her go," I said, trying to bargain with my father. His laugh made me shiver in hatred. How could one man be so cruel?

"Oh, I don't know. This cutie right here," He teased while running his gun down Alice's face. She shut her eyes tightly, like I had done so many weeks ago when Charlie had taunted me, and tried to act strong. Sweat poured down her face as Charlie placed the gun back under her cheek bone, "is actually interesting, when she's quiet that is. I think I might keep her as a pet."

"You will not!" I screamed, taking a step towards him. Charlie grinned and suddenly, his gun was pointed towards me and the trigger was pulled, making a large _bang_ echo through the forest. As soon as the trigger was pulled, a sharp pain erupted in my sides but I didn't show it. I knew he had shot me in the side, probably just grazing me but I didn't want to show Alice how hurt I was.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, horror-struck.

I placed a hand on my side, not showing the pain it gave me, while keeping my gaze steady on my horrible father. "Just let her go. I'll come willingly if you just let her go free and unharmed," I said, persuading Charlie as he placed the gun back on Alice's neck. She whimpered at the heat of the tip of the gun as I stopped walking towards them. "Charlie, I'm here! Now let her go. I'll go without a fuss and you can do whatever you want to me. Just please, let her go." I was pleading now. Great, had I stooped so low? Alice looked at me with sorrow filled eyes as Charlie thought about my offer for a second and smiled.

"Alright, I'll exchange her for you," Charlie said with a sadistic grin. Oh my god… I can't even begin to imagine what he would do to me. He pushed Alice forward and waited with that grin still on his face. "Just make your final goodbye quick," He warned as Alice came up to me and hugged me fiercely, making the pain in my side hurt even more.

"Bella, you can't do this," Alice said, looking deep into my eyes as tears fell down her face. We switched places but still kept our gazes. I knew this was the last time I'd see her. As she looked down at my side, my hand flew to the bullet hole in my side and hid the blood that was slowly falling down my shirt. "Please Bella, don't do this."

"I have no choice. I'm not going to let you get hurt any further than you already are," I said while looking at her burn mark on her neck. It was already starting to become red. Great… "I'm so sorry he did that to you… I never wanted any of this to happen."

"Oh get a move on already! I don't have all day!" Charlie yelled while I turned my head around and found his eyes blazing with anger. If I didn't get Alice out of here soon, he'd kill her to anger me, maybe kill _me_ afterwards out of pleasure. "I'll give you a minute," Charlie warned once more as he looked around to see if anyone was coming.

Only one person knew that I was coming here and that was Jasper. Would he find me now?

"Alright Alice, you have to go. Jasper is looking for you around the neighbourhood so—"

"Bella, I'm not leaving you with this creep!" Alice practically screeched at me while tears streaked her cheeks. I'd miss her personality and everything about her. "You've got to come with me. Dad's going to look at—"

"I just want you to tell Edward one thing and that's that I love him. I'm really going to miss you Alice…" I said before giving her a bone crushing hug. She sobbed into my shirt as I clung to her, remembering her scent and everything. "Thank you…"

"Bella…" Alice said when suddenly, a _ping_ was heard from behind me and then a sharp sensation in my neck. Pulling away from Alice, I felt around my neck and found a little dart. What the…? My senses were shutting down fast and I realized what Charlie had just done. He'd drugged me with a little knock-out needle. "Bella?" Alice asked as she focused in and out of my vision. It would take seconds before I'd collapse. "Bella? What's wrong?"

"Alice…" was my last word before I collapsed into her arms.

**Alice's Point of View**

"Finally got her to shut up…" Charlie grumbled.

"Bella?" I asked as she collapsed onto me. Trying to wake her up, I noticed that something was sticking out of her neck. A tranquilizer filled with drugs to knock her out. "You're a monster!" I screamed as Charlie walked towards me.

"Shut up." He grabbed Bella by the waist, pushed me backwards as he hauled her into his arm. It was surprising he had so much strength.

"Let her go!" I screamed, punching and hitting Charlie.

He seemed quite annoyed by my little outburst. Looking at me, his eyes held anger and frustration. "Oh shut up!" He lifted his hand and then next thing I knew, his hand came down on the back of my neck, knocking me unconscious on the forest floor as he took off with Bella, my sister.

"Alice! Alice, honey wake up!" A sweet, manly voice screamed at me. A sharp pain came in the back of my neck as my eyes squinted open. Looking up, I saw that Jasper was shaking me awake, his eyes filled with worry and panic.

"Jasper…?" I asked, my voice shaky and weak. What had happened? Getting up, I kept a hand on the back of my neck where the pain was most imminent and annoying. My vision was a little fuzzy but Jasper just placed himself behind me, trying to keep me awake.

"Alice, are you alright? I found you here, unconscious and… you wouldn't wake up at first. What happened to you?" I tried to remember what _had_ happened to me. It was hard. My memory was a little fuzzy but I did remember being kidnapped and then held hostage by… Charlie. Bella came to find me… Charlie had shot her and burned my neck a little. Placing a hand right under my cheek bone, I noticed the pain from the burn. My skin was sensitive there. "What happened to you honey?"

"Charlie…" Jasper's eyes filled with horror.

"Charlie? He grabbed you?" His voice was filled with intense worry as he looked at my neck. "I can't believe he dared to do that…"

"Jasper. Jasper, listen to me." I placed both of my hands on his face and made him look at me. His attention focused on me as his hands found their way to my face gently. "Jasper, Bella came after me and gave herself up to save me. He shot her, drugged her and knocked me out. He's going to torture her, Jazz. Charlie's going to beat Bella to death."

**So, I better go in my little cave now and hide before I get an angry mob wanting more from me. So please REVIEW instead of sharpening your pitchforks! :P Love you all!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

13


	19. The search begins

**Alright guys, so you won't come at me with pitchforks, I tried to write a really good chapter for you guys in less than three hours. Hopefully it will be up to your standards. And thanks for all the reviews! So READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 18

The search begins

**Edward's Point of View**

Jasper and Alice walked into the cafeteria, Alice crying her eyes out as Jasper held her close. We all rushed to her with worried looks on our faces. "Alice, what's wrong?" Rosalie asked, placing a hand on Alice's arm. But my little sister wouldn't look at any of us. She just buried her face in Jasper's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Looking into Jasper's eyes, one message was clear: _DON'T TRY TO PUSH HER._ Not questioning him, we walked into the parking lot, completely ignoring our lunches and tried to help my sister. "Alice, you got us really worried about you," Rosalie asked, using the simplest of voices ever. Looking around, I saw that there was one person missing: my Bella.

"Jasper, where's Bella?" I asked and his expression scared me completely. He looked away from me, closing his eyes and scrunching his face in pain. What had happened? Looking at Alice, I could see that there was a burn mark on her neck. "Alice, what happened to your neck?" Wow… I was asking that question a lot right now. Alice tried to look at me but ended up crying in the end. She was really terrified about something.

"I… I was burned," was the only thing she said. "He took me and…"

"Who burned you Ali?"

"Ch… Charlie…" She muttered as a few stray tears fell down her face. She buried her face in Jasper's chest once more, tears falling down her dirt-filled face. Her clothes were filled with leaves and dirt but she didn't care. What has her so distraught?

"Charlie got you?" Rosalie asked, her voice raising an octave at the man. Charlie had gotten to Rosalie once and now, he'd gotten to Alice and… Oh god… I can't even begin to think what Charlie could have done to her. But Alice didn't seem to have any serious injuries, only that small burn.

"Alice, where's Charlie?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She looked at me and said only three words that broke my heart: "I'm so sorry…"

"What are you sorry about honey?" Now, I was getting a little irritated. I wanted to know where Bella was and no one would tell me. Obviously, Alice and Jasper knew but they wouldn't tell me.

"I tried to get her to reason with me. She just… she's so selfless! I tried to get him to let her go but I was just too weak. He…" I didn't want her to finish. Some part of me already knew what Alice was going to say. My heart clenched in pain and sorrow. No… this couldn't be happening.

"What happened honey?" Rosalie asked, looking Alice directly in her eyes. By Rosalie's voice, she already knew what was going to happen next. We were all afraid of this outcome.

"Bella gave herself up to Charlie to save me," Alice said, her eyes filled with fresh tears and her voice thick with sadness. No one said anything. No one _could_ say anything. My Bella was in the hands of a sadistic monster that could kill her at any given moment. "She told me to tell you something Edward." Looking at Alice, her face was filled with pain, at the fresh memories of letting Bella go with that bastard. "She told me that she loved you. Bella wanted you to know that."

Shaking my head, I walked over to my car, unable to look at anyone anymore. "She's not saying goodbye to me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, walking over to my car angrily and determined.

"Edward, wait!" Rosalie screamed at me but I didn't listen. Getting in my car, I drove out of the parking lot faster than ever and drove to the police station. No way in hell was I letting Bella die! She'd just gotten her life under control and now that… that sick monster dares to take her away from everything she's worked for. I'm _not_ going to let that happen!

When arriving at the police station, I ran inside and many officers just stared at me confused and a little shocked. "Son, what's the matter?" A man asked me.

"I'm here to report a kidnapping. Charlie Swan has just kidnapped his daughter and is about to kill her!" I screamed at them, hoping they would listen to me.

But they just looked at me as if I was some crazy person. "Son, I think you're mistaken. Charlie Swan is the—"

"Bob, I think the boy has a point," A lady at the counter said. "Charlie hasn't been to work in over two months. And they did find his daughter beaten practically to death. Dr. Cullen even called us, saying that they found her practically dead. The daughter even said that it was Charlie who had done that. Could he…?"

"Janet, that's not an option. Charlie is one of the good guys!" The man named Bob said angrily.

"Dr. Cullen is my father! I was there when Bella was recovering! Charlie found her again a few days after that incident and almost killed her again. Today he kidnapped my sister in order to get to Bella! You have to listen to me," I pleaded, hoping that they would in fact listen to me. But just as the other police officers were about to complain, my siblings walked in the police station, worried and a little out of breath.

"And who are you?" Bob asked angrily. Obviously, he didn't like the fact that Charlie was now one of the bad guys.

Rosalie was the first one to speak. "Officers, you have to listen to my brother. He's not lying. You can even ask my little sister. Charlie just threatened her to get to his daughter."

"Why in the world would Charlie kill his own daughter? He already lost his wife a few years ago. I doubt he'd want to kill his daughter," Another man said in desperation. The woman named Janet came over to us and looked at Alice, whose face was still tear-stained.

"Fred, shut up. I don't think they're lying," Janet placed both of her hands delicately on Alice's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. "Honey, you want to tell us what happened?" Alice nodded and started to explain what happened. She even showed them the new burn mark Charlie had left on her neck. None of us had heard the whole story and were quite shocked at what Charlie did to my Bella, taunting her with my sister's life. Janet was really the only one who would believe us. Thank god the force had her… "Alright honey, we're going to help get your friend back. Fred," She turned towards the man with a determined look on her face, "go get the others. We're going to go to the Cullen place and search the area. Maybe Charlie's still around somewhere in Forks." A smile rose on my face, knowing that this woman would help us.

"You believe us?" I asked incredulous.

"Of what your sister tells me, this wasn't just some made up story. For a while now, I've doubted Charlie. At first, I didn't want to be right but now… Well, let's go. We're wasting precious time."

At least a dozen members of the Forks Police came to our house with their equipments and surveillance. When arriving, Mom looked at me for explanations. Unfortunately, it was harder to tell my mother what had happened than explaining it to the police. She had started crying the moment I said Charlie. Mom knew what this meant and was determined to find Bella no matter what. Dad came home soon after the police started investigating the area. His face was like stone once the police started questioning him about Bella's disappearance. No one was expecting this. Damn it! I shouldn't have let Bella go! And why did Jasper let her go by herself? She was planning on leaving us to save us. When we were going to find Bella, I was going to have to talk to her about family.

The search went on for hours with no end result. The police had searched the whole neighbourhood and found nothing. I was looking on the computer, hoping to be able to trace something but still nothing. Mom was trying to comfort Alice and Rosalie as Emmett and Jasper were helping the police officers. Dad was talking to one of the police officers when suddenly, an instant message opened on my computer, asking me if I wanted to have a video conference with a person named _chief2043_.

"Dad, come here," I said, just looking at the screen. A gut feeling told me that we had found Charlie. Well, let's just say that Charlie wanted to be found. Dad came to stand next to me as I accepted the invitation. The minute I accepted, Charlie's face popped up on the screen, his grin making me angrier with every passing second. "Charlie…" I snarled at him.

"Well, what a wonderful welcome message. I was kind of hoping for a little 'hello' or a 'how are you doing today'," He taunted, which made me angrier but Dad held me back.

"What have you done to Bella?" I asked, keeping my voice levelled as Mom, Alice and Rosalie joined us. Both of my sisters were furious, their anger burning around us.

"Charlie… You bastard!" Rosalie almost yelled at the screen.

"Well, hello cutie," He said, looking straight at Alice. My little sister shivered and held herself closer to Mom. That just made me angrier. How _dare_ he taunt my little sister like that? She has nothing to do with this! "Long time no see."

"What have you done with Bella?" I asked, my voice rising. Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to calm me down but it was impossible. That man just frustrated me so much! "You better not have done anything to her, you son of a—"

"Oh, you better not finish that sentence boy. You wouldn't your precious girlfriend to die, would you?" He stepped to the side, revealing a gruesome scene. My Bella was on a bed, her wrists and ankles cuffed up. Many cuts and bruised covered her legs, face and arms. Her eyes were half closed but their colour was the one thing that aggravated me the most. Her eyes were the colour of light brown, indicating that Charlie had drugged her. Her breathing was laboured as her head turned towards the screen, showing us her beautiful battered face. Her shirt was ripped in several places and, on her side; a splash of blood was embedded in her shirt, probably from the bullet wound.

"Bella!" We all screamed, seeing Bella so hurt but she probably couldn't hear us. Charlie must have drugged her so she wouldn't speak while he tortured her.

"You monster!" I screamed at him but Charlie just laughed as he moved closer to the bed Bella was lying on. "Don't touch her!"

"Frankly, this is the most fun I've had in a long time." Charlie decided to lie back in the chair and place his feet on the bed so close to Bella that she whimpered in pain. Charlie looked at her once and groaned. "Gonna have to shut her up again…"

"No, don't you dare!" I screamed that the screen, unable to do anymore. If he drugged once more, would Bella survive? How much had he drugged her already? Charlie stood up, grabbed Bella's shirt and lifted her up to meet his face. She whimpered in pain as she stared at the screen.

"Leave her alone!" Alice cried at the screen, tears streaming down her face. Charlie, just to anger us even more, punched Bella in the face once and pushed her back on the bed before leaving to get another set of tranquilizers probably. When Charlie was no longer in the room, Alice cried and tried to get Bella to listen to us. "Bella? Bella, can you hear us? Bella please!"

But there was no response. Her head turned towards our voice but her eyes were vacant. She was so filled with drugs that she couldn't comprehend anything else. "Come on Hun, you're going to be fine. We're coming to get you," I said encouragingly while looking at the screen, seeing if there was anything that could lead us to Bella. Maybe something in the room she was in could help. But there didn't seem to be anything. Damn it!

"Four… twenty… three…" Bella's frail voice made me look at her. It might have been a whisper but she still spoke. Bella was slightly conscious! The drugs were wearing off! But… what was she trying to tell us?

"Bella? Honey, are you alright?" Mom asked, her voice thick from the crying. Her tear-stained face was enough to tell me that she couldn't watch this anymore. Her eyes just looked at Bella on the screen.

"F… our tw… ent… y… three… bi… rch…wood… dr… ive…" were her final words before she slumped in the bed and Charlie came back in the room. She's just given us her location but… would there be consequences? Maybe not, Bella's voice was so low that Charlie might not have heard her. Charlie went to her bedside and prepared the syringe close to Bella's neck.

"Don't do it!" I screamed at him.

But of course, his grin only grew larger as he plunged the syringe in her neck and injecting the drug into her, causing Bella to fall instantly unconscious. "No! Mom screamed in pure horror.

"Have fun Cullens," He said before shutting off the video conference and leaving us with a blank screen.

"Damn him!" I screamed, smashing my fist on the desk in anger. How could he be so cruel to his own daughter? What had Bella ever done to him? "I'm going to kill him!"

"Edward, calm down. Bella wouldn't want you to act this way and you know it," Rosalie said, calming me down instantly because of guilt. "But now we know where she is. Janet, can you come here please?" Rosalie asked and got the attention of Janet, who was just coming into the house from her search party. The police officer came to stand next to us with a confused expression.

"We know where Bella is." The police officer's face lit up in hope as we continued to speak. "She gave us an address that might help."

"What's the address? I'll get my men on the job now," Janet said, getting a piece of paper out and a pen.

"Four twenty-three Birchwood Drive," Mom informed and the police officer's face lit up once again.

"That's close by. We're going to need you, Dr. Cullen. We don't know in what shape she'll be in," Janet said and Dad nodded before walking towards the front door.

"I'm coming too," I said determined to find my Bella and bring her back safely. Janet looked at Dad for a second before she looked at me and nodded. My face lit up. I'd find my Bella and have her in my arms again. No matter what, she would live.

**Alright guys, so they have the location to where Bella and Charlie at. Don't kill me yet. And please don't come at me with pitchforks. Ok, now I'm going to hide in my cave and await your REVIEWS!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	20. Finding her

**Alright guys, I know you're probably going to kill me at the end but please read the important author's note at the end. It involves you guys and the faith of the next chapter. So now, READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

Chapter 19

Finding her

**Edward's Point of View**

Dad and I took the car and followed the police officers in a hurry. Anxiety was boiling inside me. Bella had to make it. If she were to die… I don't know what I'd do. She was the only girl that I've ever really cared about and she might be lost forever. No! I couldn't think like that. Bella will make it, I just know it. "Edward, you need to calm down." Dad's voice brought me back to reality. Looking at him, he seemed to keep his eyes focused on the road. But I knew one thing: his eyes held fear. He knew that with the amount of drugs Charlie had injected into Bella, it might kill her instantaneously. "We're going to find her."

"She needs to be alive… I can't… She just has to live. I need her…" I pleaded mostly to myself, trying to compose myself as we arrived at the house. It was only a few miles on the outskirts of town, thankfully. Dad had told me to call the ambulance before we left and they were now on our trail, their red and white lights flashing in the background.

"Edward, you know that it won't be pretty. Bella's going to be in a bad shape. You saw her on the screen. She—"

"We're here," I said, pointing to the house around the corner. This was it, the place where my beloved was being held against her will. Charlie was also in there… I'd kill him with my own hands! Or better yet, he could rot in hell in a jail cell. Driving around the corner, I could see that Charlie was walking towards the window and saw us. His expression instantly changed from groggy to horror-struck. He ran away from the window towards something, hopefully not my Bella. "I want to kill that man…"

"Let the police take care of that. Now, all that matters is getting Bella to a hospital," Dad said as we exited the car, walking towards the police officer. They were all armed and prepared to attack. Their guns were fully loaded and prepared to shoot anything and anywhere.

"Alright people, let's get a move on. Charlie might be on the move once more," Bob said, his tone finally changing as the police officers nodded and stalked slowly towards the front door. They knocked the door down and entered without any warning. Entering the house, the police checked every single room but found nothing on the first floor. This was like an action movie with the SWAT team unleashed to find the bad guy. But this was real life and my Bella was in the middle of this. Dad and I just stayed down on the first floor with Janet and Bob as the rest of the police officers went upstairs to deal with Charlie. There were many gun shots but after a few minutes of horror, the police officers were dragging Charlie downstairs, his face bloody and angry.

"You can't do this to me! I'm the chief of police for god's sake! Let me go!" Charlie yelled as the police officers dragged him out of the house and into the police car. My heart began to relax. Charlie would be put in jail and wouldn't bother us ever again. He wouldn't bother Bella ever again.

"Doctor," A police man I'd never gotten to know the name of said as he came towards us with a stern look, "she's upstairs and she's not responding."

Both Dad and I rushed upstairs without another word and found a few police officers and paramedics surrounding a small bed against the farthest wall. We pushed past them to find Bella lying on the bed, barely conscious. Her head was tilted towards the side but her misty eyes were still clouded with drugs. My poor Bella… Dad knelt on one side of the bed and started looking over Bella for any signs of serious injuries. Who knows what Charlie could have done to her?

I knelt on the other side of the bed and placed a hand on my Bella's cheek. She moaned slightly at the contact. My eyes started to water a little at the sight of her. Bella was in so much pain that even lying down must hurt her. Her light brown eyes were so filled with drugs that she was almost on the verge of death. Oh god… She was in such a bad shape. "Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" But there was no response from her. "Bella, Hun, I love you and I want you to stay with me, alright? You're going to be just fine. I'll be right here with you every step of the way." Her skin was getting colder as we went. Looking at my father, his forehead was creased as he gave orders to the paramedics. "Is she going to be alright?" I asked as the paramedics pushed past me and placed Bella on a stretcher. She looked so helpless, so fragile. Bella needed to live. She just had to!

"Edward, I'm not going to lie to you." His gaze was stern as Dad placed a hand on my shoulder. Oh no… "She has a lot of internal bleeding and many broken limbs. Her wrists and ankles are swollen and cut from the handcuffs and her ribs are broken and bruised and her knee is dislocated. She has enough drugs in her system to kill a person—I'm surprised she's still alive after everything that Charlie's done to her. The bullet went right through Bella but still, the wound's infected. Maybe not enough to have blood loss but with the drugs, it's still questionable. I'll go with the ambulance and rush to the hospital while you call the others and tell them to meet us at the hospital," Dad instructed.

My mouth just stayed open. My Bella really _was_ a fighter. No person alive could suffer so much pain and abuse and still be alive after all this time. I'm so proud of her… When I composed myself, I said: "But I told her that I'd stay with her every step of the way."

"Edward, she knows that you're here with her but during the observation, you're going to have to stay outside with the rest of the family. You need to help them through this while I work on Bella," Dad said with a hint of a sympathetic smile. There wasn't much else I could do. The paramedics probably wouldn't let me enter the ambulance and Bella needed all the help she could. Nodding forcefully, Dad rushed downstairs, embarked in the ambulance and rushed off to the hospital.

**From: Edward**

**To: Alice**

**Meet me at the hospital. I'll explain everything. **

When finishing the text to Alice, I embarked in the car, rushed off to the hospital and tried to control my anxiety. Bella had to be alright. She might have a lot of cuts, bruises and well pain in general but she was a fighter. She would get through this for herself, for me and for every member of my family. Bella had changed us so much in the last few months that it was impossible to think that she could leave us just like that. We needed her. Alice and Rosalie needed their sister, Mom and Dad needed their daughter and I needed my heart and joy. As long as Bella lived, she held a piece of my heart. I had given it to her the moment we told each other that we loved one another. She couldn't die. Not my Bella, the person who was so full of life.

My hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were turning white. The hospital was just a few minutes away; it wouldn't take that long to get there. Without noticing, I was going thirty miles over the speed limit. Well, the police couldn't stop me anyways. They knew where I was going and no way would they stop me because of a stupid law. Bella's life was more important.

Arriving in just minutes at the hospital, I could see that they were already wheeling Bella in the hospital, getting some shocking stares from the other doctors, patients and visitors. Parking the car, I ran inside and was stopped by a frantic nurse. "Son, you need to stay in the waiting room." She tried to sound calm but wasn't capable of accomplishing that task.

"But my girlfriend's in there! She might die!" I screamed at the woman. She flinched slightly at my tone but I didn't calm down.

"Edward!" Alice's voice made me turn around and face my family that was rushing to see me. Emmett and Jasper had also followed along, both slightly angry.

"What are you guys angry about?" I asked as the stopped in front of me.

"We didn't get to kick that bastard's ass!" Emmett boomed angrily, his tone scaring most of the visitors in the waiting area.

"Yeah, I would have gone all Texan on him!" Jasper said, his fist punching the air.

Looking at him sceptically, I asked: "You're from Texas?"

"I was born there but—"

"Ok, can we not do this now?" Rosalie asked, her tone shutting us all up immediately.

"You found Bella? Is she alright?" Mom asked worriedly, breaking the small silence that had formed.

Nodding, Alice chimed in and asked: "Is Charlie…?"

"He's gone. The police grabbed him and he's going to jail, hopefully for good." Everyone nodded and they let me finish. "We found her and she was in a really bad shape, even worse than what we saw from that video conference. Dad's taking care of her right now but…" I couldn't finish. It was just too painful to think.

Mom came up to me, wrapped me in her arms and whispered: "She's going to be alright, Edward."

"How do you know?" I asked, not wanting to offend my mother but… it was a possibility that was just too painful to face.

"Because I know Bella. She'll pull through this," Mom said as she looked in my eyes for a few seconds and we all sat down in the chairs, facing the unbearable waiting game.

**Carlisle's Point of View**

"She's not responding!" One of the nurses said as we tried to get Bella to respond to anything. Her heart monitor showed her weak heart that was starting to fail. But even though it was failing, Bella was still keeping her heart pumping. That a girl. Keep your heart beating and you'll be able to pull through this. "Plunge an IV in her! We need to keep her hydrated!"

People were shouting at one another as I stitched up Bella's bullet wound. It had become infected but we were able to remove the infection and keep the wound clean. Most of the drugs in Bella's system were drained but it was hard to keep her alive. The internal bleeding had been provoked by the infection and had been stopped but it did fail one of Bella's lungs. We had a little bit of trouble getting it pumped up again but it was a success nonetheless. Bella's heart had failed once but we were able to revive it seconds later. Her external wounds were cleaned and wrapped up as the doctors tried to fight the drugs and the infection. But just as I was about to finish stitching her up, Bella's heart decided to stop once more and a flat line appeared on her heart monitor. Not good.

"Get the paddles!" I screamed at one of the nurses, already working on CPR. There was no way I would let Bella die, not when we were so attached to her. While the doctors were rushing to get the paddles, Bella's heart didn't restart. No, she was _not_ giving up. "Come on Bella, don't give up!" I said while trying to pump her heart manually. One of the doctors started charging the paddles while I applied more pressure. In under a minute, the doctor gave me the paddles. "Clear," I said after placing them at the correct spots on Bella's chest. When the charge went through, Bella's body lifted from the table, forming a small amount of pain flow through my heart. Even though the first charge didn't work, we kept on trying, hoping to get Bella's heart pumping once again. We had to. I couldn't lose my daughter. "Come on Bella, stay with me! Fight this!"

**Bella's Point of View**

I was standing in a field of beautiful flowers, a wonderful waterfall and many trees hiding the sun from blinding me. This must be heaven. There was no pain, no sorrow, no negative feelings, emotions or sensations. It was paradise to me. I haven't been able to feel peace for years.

But what made even better was to see the person standing just a few feet away from me. "Mom…" I whispered, unable to believe she was here with me. Her red hair was shining in the sunlight, her smile radiating joy and happiness as she approached me slowly. But I just ran at her, unable to hide my joy any longer. Mom opened her arms wide, waiting for me to jump in her arms like before. Tears slid down my face as I wrapped my arms around my mother's neck. She was just as I remembered her, short like me and so happy. "Mom, I missed you so much…"

"I missed you too baby. God, you're even more beautiful now that you're a woman…" Mom said while looking me over with those green eyes of hers. Unfortunately, I'd inherited Charlie's eyes instead of my mom's beautiful green. They could have matched Edward's… Edward. Just thinking about him made me feel guilty. I'd left him without even a word of goodbye. What kind of girlfriend was I to just leave him there, alone? "Honey, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Charlie shouldn't have done that to you for all of those years."

"How did you…?"

"I could always read you like an open book," Mom said as she laughed half-heartedly. That was one of the many things I missed about my mom. She was so caring about me that it was hard not to love her.

"Mom, I'm so glad you're here…" I said, wrapping my arms around her once more. I was with my mom again…

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**Alright, so here's the deal. I know you guys are sharpening your pitchforks because I ended the chapter like that but hear me out. I decided that YOU GUYS are going to decide Bella's faith. By the next day, I'm going to see how many people want Bella to live and how many people want her to die and, with you guys' decision, I'm going to write the chapter (although I have a pretty good feeling of what you guys want). I'm pretty sure you guys want her to live but until you guys review telling me what you want, I'm not going to start typing the chapter. Frankly, I want Bella to live but hey, it's all up to you guys. So, REVIEW! I'M PUTTING BELLA'S FAITH IN YOUR HANDS!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

11


	21. Fate

**Alright everyone, after all of your extensive votes. The verdict is… well you're going to have to figure that out when you READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight!**

**PS: Thank you to LittleSeaMonster to tell me that little grammar error about the title!**

Chapter 20

Fate

**Bella's Point of View**

"Bella, I have to tell you something," Mom said as she placed an arm around my shoulders and we walked across the beautiful field. Her smile still held but my face just looked confused. What did she want to tell me.

"What's up Mom?" I asked curiously. We sat down in at the base of a river and looked at one another.

"Bella, you don't belong here, in this place."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're still part of the living, not one of the dead like me. This place, this heaven, it's not for you. At least not yet. There are still people in the real world that need you, like the Cullens," Mom explained, placing a hand on my knee protectively.

"But Mom, I… I need you," I pleaded, a few stray tears falling down my face as she was telling me goodbye once more. She couldn't leave me. I needed her more than anything.

"No honey, I've seen how you've been dealing with everything for the last eight years. You've been doing wonderfully, even on your own. I couldn't be any prouder of you, honey." She placed the hand that was resting on my knee up to my cheek and looked me straight in the eyes. My misty eyes tried to focus on her face but it was blurry from the tears. "The fact that you've been putting up with my horrible husband for so long is unbelievable. I've never seen anyone being able to do such a thing and now, you're doing so well with the Cullens. You're letting them in and you accept their help. And I've seen your boyfriend honey."

"I know, he's incredible and really loves me," I answered while removing a stray hair from my face and placing it behind my ear.

"I can see that." Mom hadn't removed her hand from my cheek. It still laid there, its warmth reminding me of all the times she did this action when I was a child. Oh, how I missed her… to think that she wanted me to leave her here, alone in heaven. "And I think he's the perfect guy for you." Looking at her shocked, she nodded and smiled that motherly smile of hers at me, the smile I hadn't seen in eight years. "He'll be able to make you smile and feel everything that Charlie has taken from you. Yes Bella, I approve of him, of both of you."

A smile lit on my face as she approved of my choice of guys. "Thank you…" She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me to her. But she was right. I had to go back. There was no way that I could just leave Edward like that without a word of goodbye. "I have to go, don't I?"

She nodded and looked me straight in the eyes. "Dr. Cullen's trying to get your heart beating again. Obviously, you being here isn't helping them. You have to go back honey. I'm going to miss you so much but it's for the best."

"Am I ever going to see you again?"

"I'll always be here Bella, in here." She placed her finger on my chest where my heart is. A smile broke on her face as she said: "And, who knows, I might check up on you in your dreams. So you better be good."

"I'll try Mom," I said while giving her a big hug and standing up.

She mimicked my movements and we walked together towards the empty field. There was something I knew I had to do and it would hurt both me and the Cullens. But it had to be done. "Do what your heart tells you to do Bella. It'll get you far in life." Of course she would say that. My thoughts were written all over my face whenever she was around. "But makes sure that what you do is the right thing to do," She informed me with a motherly smile.

"I'll miss you," I said as a stray tear fell from my face.

My mother whipped away the tear with her finger and placed both of her hands on my cheeks. "And I you Bella. Be careful." And with that, she disappeared in a flash and I was in a dark place, waiting to go back to my body.

**Carlisle's Point of View**

I couldn't believe it… Bella's heart just stopped and wouldn't restart. She would just lay there, unmoving and not breathing. Her eyes wouldn't open and her heart monitor held one long _beep_, indicating the flat line her heart made. "Time of death: four thirty-six PM," One of the doctors said as I just stared at my daughter lying on the hospital table. She had fought all of her life and now was free of all pain and sorrow. But we weren't. Her death was the hardest blow I'd ever gotten in my entire line of work as a doctor. I forced myself to believe that Bella could be saved. But I'd failed. Her pale skin indicated that much.

Walking slowly towards the door, I didn't look back. I _couldn't_ look back, knowing that she was gone forever. Closing my eyes, I opened the door and was welcomed by the harsh light of the white hallway. Looking down, my hands were covered in blood; Bella's lifeline was now on my hands. It disgusted me to think that Bella's blood was embedded in my skin. The memory of her pale skin just giving up made me run to the bathroom, start the sink and wash my hands roughly, trying to remove Bella's blood from my hands.

Bella…

Memories flashed of the past few months. Bella laughing and enjoying herself with Alice and Rosalie… the nights Edward would stay with her to chase away her nightmares… Esme brushing Bella's hair whenever Bella felt sad… the times I taught Bella medicine in my study… It was all just too much. She had so much life in her and now, it was gone. _She_ was gone.

But now, how would I tell the rest of the family. Mainly, how would I tell Edward?

Walking slowly out of the bathroom, I walked towards the waiting room, where I knew that my family would be waiting to hear the horrible news. It broke my heart to think of their sad faces when they would hear the news. How to tell them correctly? When arriving in the waiting room, I could see that everyone was holding onto each other for support. Esme had Edward in her arms, comforting him. Rosalie had Emmett, Alice had Jasper and now, they would be heartbroken at the news. When walking towards them, Esme lifted her head and met my gaze. They all got up and walked up to me, their faces hopeful. But I didn't need to say anything for them to understand.

"No…" Esme said as a tear slid down her face and she placed her hand on her mouth in horror.

"Dad, don't tell me that—" But Alice couldn't finish her sentence. It was too hard for her. She just broke down crying.

"I'm so sorry… We did everything we could," I apologized while gathering Esme in my arms.

"Well, it obviously wasn't enough!" Edward practically screeched at me. Looking up, his face was so furious it hurt to look at. He was angry at me because I didn't save Bella in time. "If you had done everything you could, she'd still be here right now!"

"Edward, it wasn't your father's fault. It was Charlie's. Bella tried to stay strong but it wasn't enough. She wanted to get away from the pain," Esme said as she turned to face her devastated son. Rosalie was now crying into Emmett's chest as a few tears slid down his face. It was amazing to see Emmett shed tears. He looked like such a strong man that it surprised me to see tears falling down his face. Alice was sobbing so hard that Jasper had to place his head on top of my daughter's to stop her from shaking. They were all devastated because of this… "She's in a better place now," Esme whispered as she approached Edward. His hands were now in fists and shaking so hard they were practically a blur.

"You made me believe that she would make it. You told me that she would fight," Edward retorted angrily, making Esme flinch at his hurtful words. I bowed my head in shame, turning away from them and tried to compose myself. I'd failed all of them.

"Dr. Cullen!" One of the doctors shouted from the hallway. Turning towards the voice, I saw him running up to us with a… smile on his face? "Dr. Cullen!" He lowered his voice this time but still shouted.

"What is it John?" I asked, my voice full of pain and self-hatred. What else would he tell me that could hurt my family even more?

"You need to come with me. It's important," John started to run off but I stopped him once more by grabbing his wrist. He was in an awfully large rush.

"John, you need to tell me what the problem is right now." I insisted, my tone rising with annoyance.

"The patient, she's awake and seems to be stable." My mouth literally fell. It couldn't be possible… No, I'd seen Bella die. She wasn't breathing at all. How could it be possible that she had somehow been brought back to life? We all rushed up to Bella's room only to find many doctors around the table, enabling us to see what was going on. But the heart monitor showed a heartbeat, a steady heartbeat at that. Edward was the first to move. He pushed past many doctors and we all saw Bella, her arm moving towards my son and her eyes starting to slowly open.

She was alive.

"Bella?" Edward asked as he knelt down and placing his hand through hers. A small smile erupted onto her face but was erased when the pain came back to her. The girls started to cry as they saw Bella well and alive. We all rushed to her side and saw Edward placing his hand on her face carefully. Her eyes were still slightly foggy but otherwise, they were returning to their original colour. But she really was alive. "Bella, can you hear me?" Edward asked, just to make sure.

"Yes Edward… I can hear you…" Her voice seemed so exhausted and weary that it surprised me that she could talk at all.

"You came back to me…" Edward's voice broke at the last few words. He was crying tears of joy at the sight of his beloved alive. I didn't judge him. If it were Esme, I would have done the same thing.

"It took me a while… but I came back…" She said with one of her smiles, even though it pained her to do so. Unfortunately, I had to push Edward aside to check Bella's vitals.

"Alright Bella, can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" I asked while lifting two fingers in front of her. She didn't seem to be able to see them.

"I don't know… it's all blurry…" She practically whispered to me. Bella was extremely weak. Even though she came back, she wasn't Superwoman. Bella needed rest, and lots of it for that matter. I didn't notice the doctors walk out of the room until it was just the family and myself. "I can't see…"

"That's alright Bella. The drugs Charlie inserted in your body aren't fully gone. With a lot of rest and patience, you'll make a full recovery in no time," I informed everyone with the largest of smiles on my face. Our family was whole again. "I'm just going to bring your vitals to the nurses and we'll get you settled in a room and give you some time to rest." Looking at the kids, I said: "Don't talk for too long. Bella really needs her rest." I walked out of the room with Esme's arm around my waist and we left the kids talk to Bella.

"Thank god she made it through…" Esme said mostly to herself as she leaned into me. Looking into her eyes, she seemed to be forming a plan.

"What are you thinking?" I asked with a smile. Somehow, I had a feeling she and I were thinking the same thing.

"I was thinking that since Charlie will be placed in jail and Bella has no one else, they're going to try to force her into an orphanage. Maybe, when she's well and fully settled in, we could take her under our wing?" She asked while looking at me.

Smiling down at her, I tightened my grip around her waist and walked with her towards the front desk. "I think that's a wonderful idea…"

**Edward's Point of View**

Everyone had had a chance to talk to Bella and, only a few minutes later did they decide to let her rest and visit tomorrow. The doctors had wheeled her into another room, one with a bed, and she was now looking at me, her eyes drooping steadily because of her fatigue. "You should rest Hun. I'll be here when you wake up," I admitted while entwining my fingers with hers adoringly. It was incredible how she had come back to me. The dreaded fear that she had died for a few minutes still plunged at my heart. There was no life worth living if Bella wasn't a part of it. But I was going to have to apologize to my parents. With all the horrible things I had said to them, no wonder they were a little upset with me. Maybe they would ground me.

"Edward… while Carlisle was trying to save me… I… I saw my mom…" She said; a smile evident on her face. Might she have been dreaming that her mother was there with her? But no matter, Bella was here with me and I would believe anything she would say. "She… she approved of our relationship…"

"She approved of me?"

"It's shocking… Mostly she'd chase them away… But she said that you were the perfect guy for me… that you'd love me and you'd make me feel things Charlie never has…" Cupping Bella's cheek, I gave her one of my crooked smiles and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Well, your mother's absolutely right. I want to love you for the rest of my life," I admitted while Bella fought to stay awake. Tucking her in bed, she was falling asleep instantly. "Sleep my Bella, I'll be here when you wake up and tell you how much I love you," I said while placing a kiss upon her lips when she fell asleep. Bella was safe and sound and I will make sure it stays that way.

Just as I was about to sit down, Dad stepped through the door and walked towards the bed, making sure not to disturb Bella's peaceful slumber and started checking her vitals once more. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn't fall into a coma or something during her sleep. "Dad, I'm really—"

"No need to apologize. I understand that you were devastated. I even hated myself for letting her die." Dad said with the sincerest of smiles plastered on his face. "Even your mother understands how you felt." Dad sighed once and asked: "Did you know that we had lost a child before you were born?"

That caught me off guard. "No… what happened?"

"Your mother had given birth to a baby boy. She'd never been happier. Rosalie was about a year old and didn't quite comprehend anything then but… the baby was much too small. The doctors said that he wouldn't last the night. Your mother was devastated when it died that night. She'd called him Michael, Michael Andrew Cullen. For many days, your mother wouldn't speak. She'd barely make any movement, other than what she was told to do. It was like a part of her died. She knows what it's like to lose a child. Everything that she told you in the hallway, well she said that to me as well the night our little Michael died." I couldn't speak. The words had been taken from my mouth and enabled me to do much besides stare. I'd judged my mother so harshly before.

"I'm so sorry… I have to go apologize to—" But Dad placed his hand on my shoulder, stopping me instantly. His gaze went to Bella and he smiled.

"I believe there's someone who doesn't want you to leave just yet," He mentioned and walked towards the door. Looking down, I saw that Bella's hand was still enticed in mine and she was holding on tightly, as if she didn't want me to let go. After all she went through, Bella still wanted me. "Don't worry Edward, I'll get Esme to come and you can talk to her. Just stay with Bella. That's what she wants, to be with someone she trusts." Dad shut the door behind him and it was just me and Bella once more, my sleeping angel.

**Alright, thank you for everything that you guys did. With your reviews, it was 36-1 that Bella lives. And I hope you guys liked the chapter. I found it was heartfelt and well done but then again, you guys are the judge. And I'd just like to point out to Bellaangel1383 that you must have read my mind because that was what I was planning on doing for this chapter if you guys had decided to let Bella live! Great minds think alike right? Well then, I hope you guys liked the chapters so far 'cause we're coming to a conclusion. There are only a few chapters left and then, the epilogue. But there are many other stories that I posted that you guys can look at that might interest you. So, check those out and REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER! I'll post the next one as soon as I can, maybe tomorrow, maybe tonight. Who knows?**

**Bellacullenswan17**

13


	22. Decisions

**Alright guys, so this is the last chapter of this story. I know, tear tear. But now, there's only an epilogue left and then, there will be NO sequel. I just can't think of a sequel for this story. So, please enjoy this story and many others that I have written and PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or any of the songs I used in this chapter!**

Chapter 21

Decisions

**Bella's Point of View**

The days passed. I'd gotten a few visitors each time, mostly the Cullens, Emmett, Jasper and Angela. She had heard about my kidnapping and cried a few tears when she saw me. I'd felt so bad that she worried about me so much that my decision was easier to make now. Ever since going back to the living world, I'd been considering leaving the Cullens and letting them live a happy and normal life without my interferences. Now, with Angela crying over me, my decision was complete. When I'd go back to the Cullen, I'd gather my things, find the farthest orphanage and settle there until the day of my eighteenth birthday. Things would be better this way. Hopefully, Edward wouldn't forget me.

He'd stayed with me during my stay, sometimes kicked out by Carlisle during the night but he'd always return in the morning, overly excited about my sudden awakening. It would hurt us both to be away from one another but it was for the best. I wouldn't be a bother to anyone anymore.

"Hey Bella, can I come in?" Alice asked, poking her head through the door one day while I was reading. My recovery was going extremely well and most of my bones were mending properly.

"Of course, come on in," I said, placing my book on the bed as Alice came inside. She sat on the end of the bed and looked at me with a large smile on her face. Ever since I'd woken up on that table, they'd been overly protective of me. I'd miss her so much… "What's up?"

"How are you feeling?" She asked worriedly, looking me over.

"Better. How about you?" I tried to position myself better but because my ribs weren't fully healed, my chest hurt immensely, which made me gasp in pain.

"Stand still Bella, you're just going to hurt yourself even more. Take it easy for a while," Alice said while trying to place me back in bed carefully.

"Yeah, but it's hard when you're suffocating in this room! I feel like my head is going to explode. I've got to get out of this room," I exclaimed with the biggest puppy dog pout.

"Nice try Bella but I've mastered the puppy dog pout. And Dad specifically said that you can't leave until you're fully recovered," Alice retorted with a grin.

"Yeah, but how long is that going to take? Alice, I'm dying in here." She flinched at the word and hid her face from me. Oh god… How inconsiderate am I? "I'm sorry Alice. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"I know… It just hurts to think about it and it was hard to see you like that, barely alive. I… I don't want to see you like that ever again, Bella." _You won't, trust me, _I thought sadly while Alice's gaze kept penetrating mine. She looked so sad, in so much pain. And I was the one who had caused it. How much pain would others have to endure because of me?

"I'm sorry…" I looked away from her and closed my eyes.

"Hey, just don't worry about it. You're fine now and no one's going to hurt you again. Edward, Emmett and Jasper will make sure of that," Alice said, trying to get me to look at her but was unsuccessful. There was no way I could look into those all too sad eyes. "Come on Bells, look at me please," She pleaded and I finally looked at her. "Why the long face?"

"It's…" Looking at her, I couldn't tell her why I was so upset. It would just crush her more. "It's nothing Alice… just don't worry." Unfortunately, I knew Alice and she wouldn't just leave it at that. "Alice, it's nothing. I'm fine," I lied and, surprisingly, she bought it.

Looking at her watch, Alice gasped and said: "I was supposed to help Mom with the cleaning at the house and get some groceries. Do you mind…?"

"No, go right ahead. But, do you mind getting me a notepad and a pen before you go? I think I'm going to write tonight," I said and a smile started to spread across her face. "And if you have a chance, could you bring my computer from the house? It would really help."

"Of course! I'll go get the pad and pen for you right now." She ran out of the room and, in mere minutes, she was back with a yellow notepad and a black pen. "I'll give the computer to the front desk so they can bring it to you later on tonight. Mom won't mind me leaving for a while." With a smile, Alice hugged me and ran out the door. Looking at the clock, it was almost five o'clock, which meant that visiting hours were done. But it would give me plenty of time to write something for Edward. Mainly the song would be about him and how we were together.

Hopefully, he would like it.

The days passed by and the song was complete. It was called _Please Remember_ and it revolved around how leaving Edward was the hardest thing to do. No one has seen the song but they were extremely curious. Every single time they would ask about it, I would just tell them that they would see it when it was over or that I just had a few finishing touches to do before anyone would see it. Alice and Edward were the must curious and it was harder to keep it away from them, especially when I was injured.

After a few days, Carlisle had said that my wounds were fairly healed and that I just needed a little rest. But mainly, he said that I was released and could stay with them during my recovery. It was a generous thought and unfortunately, I had to fake a smile and accept the fact that I would be staying with them for a 'long time'. The day Carlisle drove me back to the Cullen household, Esme and the rest of the Cullen family had apparently planned a party for me. It was supposed to be 'welcome home' party but… although this felt terribly like home, there was no way I could put this family through more grief. Unfortunately, it might bring them grief to know that I left but they'll forget about me soon enough.

As the party ended a few hours later, I looked at every member of the Cullens, cleaning the house. Sighing, I asked: "When was the last time you all went out as a family?"

They all looked at one another and shrugged. "A while, I guess?" Emmett said it more like a question. Mostly, everyone agreed to that question.

Sighing once more, I shook my head and said: "Alright, that's it. You guys are going out tonight as a family." They looked at me shocked while I went to sit down on a chair. My legs were so tired that it was a shocker that they lasted this long. But they still kept on looking at me. "Oh come on, how long has it been since you went to see a movie or went to dinner all together?" Once again, they shrugged. This was disappointing and frankly, I would never have another chance of escaping if they didn't leave tonight.

"She does have a point. I mean, we could go catch a movie in Port Angeles tonight," Rosalie said as she looked at the members of her family.

"And dude, we can check out the wrestling game on TV at my house!" Emmett told Jasper and they seemed excited about the idea because they kissed their girlfriends and ran out of the house happily. So far, my plan was working to wonders. It seemed as though they would be leaving the house tonight. Two down, five to go.

"You can always come with us Bella. It would be nice for you to get out of the house," Esme suggested with a worried look on her heart-shaped face. Man would I miss that.

"Actually, I think I'm just going to go to bed. I'm still really tired and maybe another round of sleep will help me out," I lied, hoping they would buy it.

"Are you sure? I mean…" Esme's face turned to horror and one thought popped to mind: Charlie. She was still worried that someone would attack me.

"Don't worry guys; I'm just going to take a nap. No one's going to get me. Charlie's gone and I'm almost done healing. Everything's going to be fine. You guys have been worrying too much about me. You need a vacation from me," I emphasized but they just rolled their eyes at me. "I mean it, just go and have fun as a family tonight."

"Alright…" Everyone grabbed their belongings, gave me a few goodbyes and kisses before they walked out of the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Their cars purred to life and drove out of their driveways. They were gone. And I would have to leave them for good so they could have proper lives without any interference from me.

As a single tear fell down my face, I walked over to my room and started to pack. They would be gone for a while and I would be able to leave without them noticing. I packed everything noticeable: my keyboard, my computer, all the clothes Alice had made me buy, everything… It was as if I'd never been in this room or anywhere in this house. But… Edward needed to see my song. It would be my last goodbye to him. Maybe I could leave a note for the rest of the family. That sounded like a good idea… Grabbing the notepad and pen once again, I started writing my goodbye note.

**Dear Cullens,**

**Thank you so much for everything you have done for me since I met all of you. No one has ever been so nice to me in my entire life. I really want you all to know that I appreciate everything you have done and thank you with all my heart. **

**But I've noticed that in the past months, I've been troubling you all with my problems. You haven't been able to live a natural life with me around and I find it's best that I leave. I won't interfere with your lives anymore and you can all live happily. **

**Edward, I'm really sorry to do this but… it's best for everyone, even you. I love you with all my heart and I'm terribly sorry. **

**Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful and happy life without me.**

**Bella**

Many tears fell from my face and onto the paper while I wrote it. It must be so selfish of me to do this. But they needed to be happy without me. Frankly, their lives would go back to normal without me in the picture. Calling a cab, they said that they would be here in about five minutes. Those were the most agonizing five minutes of my life. Yes, even Charlie's beatings were less painful than this wait.

I placed the letter to the Cullens on my bed and went to Edward's bedroom right afterwards. I stopped at the doorframe. It was too sad to leave the love of my life. How could anything be more painful? All of his favourite music, the beautiful bedroom and just his scent in general hung in the room. Tears ran down my face as I placed the lyrics to the song on his wonderful bed and waited outside of the house for the cab to arrive.

A few tears fell down my face as the cab finally pulled in and the man helped me place my bags in the trunk. "Where to Miss?" The man asked once we were finished placing everything inside.

"The farthest orphanage you can think of," I said lifelessly. The man nodded, got in the driver's seat and started the engine. Looking back at the beautiful house I would never see again, one word escaped my lips while entering. "Goodbye…" And then, we drove off, leaving everything behind. The family I never had, my friends, my love… Everything.

**Edward's Point of View**

The movie was great. And we'd actually spent time as a family. Everyone felt guilty about leaving Bella behind but she did tell us to have a good time. We were doing exactly that. But it still felt wrong. Bella was part of the family. She should have been able to come. But she was tired. After all, Bella had a rough couple of weeks, what with Charlie and Tanya. She needed a better life than that. And we were planning on giving it to her, no matter what.

When the movie finished, everyone was anxious to get back home and hopefully catch Bella when she woke up. We drove back to the house to find Bella's truck still in the driveway. She was probably still taking a nap. Everyone got out of the car, went to the door and entered slowly and almost soundlessly. "I think I'm just going to say goodnight to Bella," I said and my siblings just rolled their eyes at me but it was easy to ignore the gesture.

Walking towards Bella's room quietly, I opened the door and was extremely shocked. "What the…!" I could barely form a sentence. Bella's room was completely empty. There was nothing, not even a speck of dust that was Bella's. And she wasn't in the bed. Her closet was completely empty, as was her drawer, the bathroom, everything! She wasn't here anymore. Nothing.

Walking into the empty room, Alice and the rest of the family came running to the bedroom. "Edward, what's the—" As soon as they arrived in the room, they all gasped at the sight. "Oh god!"

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked, coming up to me while looking around the room.

"She's gone…" I whispered, unable to believe it myself. She couldn't be gone. We had just gotten her back and now, she was gone from our lives and we didn't know where Bella would go.

"This isn't like her…" Rosalie said, shocked to the very core. Mom walked towards the bed and picked up a piece of paper. She started reading it and gasped.

"I think I know why she left," Mom said with such a frail voice it broke my heart to hear it. She handed us the piece of paper and we read it. No… Bella was _not _leaving me! Not like this… "This is horrible. Why would she decide to leave like this? It's not like her to do something like this," Mom said, her voice cracking up with fresh tears.

"And besides, where would she go? It's so late," Rosalie said sadly. We all thought about that for a second before everyone shouted: "The orphanage," at the same time. I mean, it's not surprising for Bella to think of going to an orphanage. Her father was going to jail, her mother passed away and she probably had no one else. Such a horrible way to live…

"But they're probably all closed. What are we going to do? There are a lot of orphanages in this part of Washington. She could be anywhere," Mom answered as Dad placed his arm around her waist and brought her close to him. She sobbed into his chest and a ping of jealousy filled my insides. Bella and I could be like that. But she left me… Not bothering to talk anymore, I ran to my room, grabbed my keys and stopped short when something caught my eye. On my bed was a sheet of paper, written in Bella's handwriting. Picking up the paper, I realized it was a sheet of music, one of Bella's songs. It was entitled _Please Remember_. Reading the lyrics, my heart clenched tighter and tighter with every word written. She'd written this knowing that she would leave us. God… how had anyone not seen this?

Clutching the paper to my chest, I ran down the stairs, passing my family members in the process and got in my car before driving off towards all of the orphanages I knew. I'd tried three orphanages and came up empty handed. Bella wasn't at any of them. It was almost eleven o'clock when I stopped in front of _Madam Cooney's Orphanage_. It was on the outskirts of Port Angeles and seemed to be a pretty large house. It was surprising that we didn't see this place while going back home. Walking inside, the lights were closed. "Hello?" I screamed and, surprisingly, the lights flickered open and a woman in a nightgown came down the stairs.

"And who might you be?" The woman asked, her tone quite angry.

"Has someone by the name of Bella Swan been admitted here?" I asked, completely ignoring her question and approaching her slowly.

"Who are you and what do you want with her?" She asked. Yes! So Bella was here!

"I'm her boyfriend. And I've come to take her home," I answered honestly. The woman just stared at me blankly but wouldn't say anything. Sighing, I said: "Is she here?"

"She told me she had no one… I didn't realize that she was in love… Bella's upstairs, probably asleep by now. But you can come and see her if you'd like." This woman was very kind and cared a lot about the orphans here. We walked up the stairs and arrived in front of a wooden door. "Most older children have their own rooms and Bella was admitted in this room. You may enter," The woman said while opening the door.

"Thank you," I said while entering slowly Bella's room. She was sleeping in a small bed against the wall, sweat pouring down her face as she dreamt. Kneeling beside her, I shook her slightly and she woke up abruptly, screaming at the air as she sat up. "Bella, you're alright. You're safe," I said soothingly, petting her hair softly. She turned her head and her eyes suddenly widened.

"Edward…" was the only word she said.

"Why did you leave?"

"It was better for all of you. You needed a normal life and that—"

"Bella, you're part of the family. You're not a burden or anything that you wrote in that heartbreaking letter! I can't even believe that you would do this. Why would you?" I asked shockingly, trying to make some sense of this situation.

"Edward, I'm no good for you. You should know that," Bella said while turning her head away from me. Placing a finger under her chin, I made her look at me. She was crying, crying for me.

"Hun, don't cry. Bella, all I know is that you're the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I never want you to leave me again, even if you think it's for my own good. You're the only thing that matters Bella." She smiled a little and seemed to recognize what I was saying. There was no one else in this world that I wanted to spend my time with. She was the only one for me and still is.

"_And how we laugh and how we smile_

_And how this world was yours and mine_

_And how no dream was out of reach _

_I stood by you, you stood by me_

_We took each day and made it shine_

_We wrote our names across the sky _

_We ride so fast, we ride so free_

_And I had you and you had me_."

"Bella?" I asked confusingly, remembering those words from somewhere.

"It's from the song I wrote. That's what I wanted you to remember. It was like a final goodbye," She said, placing a hand on my cheek and looking deep in my green eyes.

"We'll keep on making memories together because you're coming back to live with us," I said and, surprisingly, she nodded in agreement.

"Let's go home." I smiled as she got out of bed and got ready. She must not have had time to unpack her things because everything was still in her suitcases. We grabbed all of her belongings, placed it in my car and drove home without any problems from that woman. She must have been the owner. But I didn't care. Bella was back and we would be happy together.

Returning home, Bella was engulfed in hugs, scolds and happy tears. Mom and Dad had surprised everyone by offering Bella to be adopted and tears rolled down my beloved's face. She was accepted somewhere and it made her the happiest person in the world. Alice and Rosalie embraced her and cried tears of joy as Bella accepted my parents' offer. She would be adopted by us tomorrow and be an official Cullen in the next twenty-four hours. Thank god… She would finally be happy with us, have a family to rely on. She would be loved.

She would be whole.

**Alright guys, what did you think? A little too much? Too sad? What did you think of Bella's decision? And of her adoption into the Cullen family? I used the song **_**Please Remember **_**by **_**LeAnn Rimes**_**. If you want to listen to it, go right ahead. So, please REVIEW YOUR OPINIONS and I'll try to get the epilogue up soon. Thanks everyone!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

15


	23. Epilogue

**Alright, so here's the epilogue for this story. And, thanks to Golden Perception, there will be a sequel! It's entitled **_**Captured**_** and if you want to know what's going to happen, read the sequel! So, READ AND REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer = I don't own Twilight or the songs used in this chapter!**

Epilogue

**Bella's Point of View**

I was standing in front of the Seattle Courthouse. My father was going to be convicted in front of the judge and hopefully be found guilty. But I had to attend. I was one of the witnesses, so was Carlisle and Charlie. It was going to be a small courthouse. The police already knew that Charlie was going to be found guilty but they just wanted to make it sure and official. Just standing here made me happy. I'd be able to watch my father be brought to justice and stand by my 'real' family. Esme and Carlisle had adopted me and there was no way I could refuse. They were so kind and actually cared about my wellbeing.

I remember the day they had asked—can't believe that was only a few weeks ago—me to be a part of the Cullen family… It had been such a good night.

_I had just returned from the orphanage with Edward and pretty much everyone had scolded me for leaving. Alice and Rosalie had yelled at me for a while; Carlisle had given me a lecture about what it is to be a family, which Esme joined in after a few seconds. Edward, on the other hand, hadn't said a word since we entered the house. It scared me that he didn't have something to scold me for._

"_Alright, I think Bella's had enough," Carlisle said and that made everyone shut up. We sat on the couch and everyone stared at me._

"_Look, I'm sorry that I left. It was stupid and… Ok, there's no excuse. I'm just really sorry," I said, hiding my face in my hands. Edward placed his hands on mine and removed them from my face, looking deep in my eyes. How I loved this man…_

"_Bella, we forgive you. But you have to promise us that you will never _ever_ do that again, to any of us," Edward retorted, his piercing gaze never leaving my face. _

"_Alright," I whispered as Edward cupped my face. Leaning against his hand, I closed my eyes and waited for the punishment of my actions. Gulping, my voice was rough with sleep and sadness. "So, what's my punishment?"_

_It took a few seconds but finally, Esme spoke up and said: "You're not in trouble." Flinging my eyes open, I turned to face her and looked at her dumbfounded. A smile was on her face; as if she wasn't aware that she had told me that I wasn't punished. What was wrong with this picture?_

"_But… I… I don't get it. I practically ran away from you guys, Edward had to come and drag me out of there—not that I'm complaining or anything—and then you tell me that I'm not punished? What's up with that?" Everyone in the room started to laugh at me but this wasn't a laughing matter. I was really confused. Why in the world wasn't I getting any consequences for my actions? Charlie would have beaten me for sure if I had tried to leave. "I'm not kidding guys."_

"_We know Bella. It's just the way you interpreted the past night, it was really something to laugh at," Carlisle said with a fatherly smile._

"_But we do have one question to ask you," Esme said, looking at her husband who nodded in approval. She looked at me with pure love in her eyes while mine held confusion, pure and utter confusion._

"_What's up?" I asked curiously._

"_Well, we've been thinking about it and… Bella, would you like to be part of this family?" Esme asked. My mouth flew open. Were they… Did they want to… adopt me? But frankly…_

"_I thought I already was…" was my simple reply. With the way they treated me the last few months, it felt like I was already a part of this family. Everyone laughed me at when they heard my reply. It seemed like this morning—yes, right now it was practically midnight and they were _still _up—everyone was laughing at me. But hey, they could have their laughs. _

"_Well, would you like it to be official?" Carlisle asked as Alice and Rosalie both wore smiles on their faces. "I'm sure it would take a little while to get the paperwork done but still, would you like to be part of our family officially?" Looking at all of them, they all seemed ecstatic at the thought of having me as a part of their family. It felt so good to be accepted by this family that it sounded really stupid to ask my question._

"_You really want to adopt me?" Alice and Rosalie rolled their eyes at me as Esme, Carlisle and Edward all nodded in agreement. "Well, then how can I refuse?" I asked with a large smile. Alice gasped and jumped me just as fast. Everyone hugged me and said: "Welcome to the family." Just as Esme hugged me, there was one thing I needed to ask them. "Would it be possible to ask a favour from you?" _

"_What's the matter dear?" Esme asked sweetly while looking me straight in the eyes._

"_Would it possible… I know that it's kind of silly to ask this but… would it be possible that I keep my last name? Just to be able to have some memento of my mom, you know?" I asked shyly, not knowing what their response would be._

"_Of course you can honey. When we'll do the paperwork, we'll say that your full name will be Bella Cullen Swan. Is that alright?" _

_A large smile formed itself on my face. "That's perfect…" I said happily and hugged Esme for dear life, as if this offer would just evaporate any second. But it wouldn't. Not that I know of. In a few weeks, I would be Bella Cullen Swan._

"Are you ready love?" Edward asked me as he placed his arm around my waist. Looking up at him, his eyes were focused on me. Nodding, I took a deep breath and walked into the courthouse filled with people in fancy suits. The judge took his seat and grabbed his gavel.

"Ladies and gentleman of the court; all rise for the honourable Judge Brown." A police man said in front of the judge as Judge Brown sat down in his large leather seat.

"Alright, you may be seated." Everyone sat down and watched the judge. "Will the defendant please rise," The judge asked and Charlie stood up, looking once at the judge before turning his dark eyes on me with a sadistic grin. A chill ran down my body at his face. His lawyer seemed to be in total focus of the case and didn't see a thing. As for mine, she lightly rubbed my arm and smiled sympathetically at me. Looking back at the judge, "We are here today on behalf of the case of Isabella Swan against Charles Swan on obligations of abuse. How do you plea?"

"Not guilty, your honour." How dare he lie to the judge? The mere sight of this man disgusted me to my very core. He was so repulsive and foul.

The judge nodded and called me to the stand. Slowly, I went up to the police officer, placed my hand on the bible and repeated the oath that needed to be recited. Sitting down afterwards, my lawyer came forward and smiled at me sincerely.

"Miss Swan, are you able to point us to the man who abuse you?" My lawyer asked.

"Yes I can," I said. She waved her arm around the room once and I pointed to Charlie, who had removed that sadistic grin from his face and looked appalled to be pointed at. His lawyer tried to object but was overruled by the judge.

"Could you explain to us your side of the story?" My lawyer asked, making me gulp a little. This was the hard part: explaining what Charlie had done to me over the years.

Nodding, I started explaining to everyone in the room my story. "We used to be a happy family. My mother, Charlie and me would always go out somewhere and have a good time."

"What happened to your mother?"

"She died about eight years ago. It was a bad car accident. She was driving home from work when… when a truck spun out of control and pummelled three cars. One of them was my mother. Anyways," I tried to push back the tears—no one would see me shed a tear, especially not in a courtroom—and looked away from them, continuing my story, "the funeral was very small. Everyone in town showed up. But… Charlie was very serene. He barely said a word to anyone and kept his speech short. He might have been really upset at the funeral, but he was furious at home.

"That's when it started. That night. He started drinking and after about an hour, he became drunk and angry. My mistake was going down the stairs and seeing him…" Flashbacks of that night came flooding through my mind.

"_You worthless girl! Can't you do anything right?" Charlie screamed when I came down the stairs to get a bottle of juice. It was around nine o'clock and Charlie didn't seem like himself. _

"_Daddy?" I asked sadly, wondering what was wrong with Charlie at the moment. He looked at me with angry brown eyes, a hint of red showing through them. He was furious. Charlie walked up to me, knelt down and grabbed both of my arms roughly. "Dad, you're hurting me."_

"_I don't care! Do you know how much _I'm_ hurting, you selfish brat?" Charlie shouted angrily. What was wrong with him? "The one person I cared for the most in my life is _dead_! Do you hear me? She's gone!"_

"_Dad, I—" A painful sensation formed on my cheek. My head turned to the side when it occurred but my mind couldn't comprehend what had happened. Charlie had slapped me. And he'd slapped me hard. My eyes started to glisten with tears as I turned my head back to my father. That was the first time that he'd hit me in my life. _

"_Don't you _dare_ talk to me! You don't even deserve to live! You're too much of a reminder of your mother! Get lost brat!" He screamed at me while throwing me to the ground forcefully and walking out of the house. That night, I ran to my room and cried myself to sleep._

"Even though I was nine, I still comprehended what he meant. I never deserved to live, that was Charlie's theory," I explained, swallowing the lump forming in my throat.

"What happened afterwards?" My lawyer asked me, her voice calm and collected. In her eyes, you could see the sadness embedded in them.

"Charlie would beat me at least once a day. He was usually drunk when this happened. Up until the age of sixteen, he'd beat me once every few days. After I turned sixteen, he would beat me every day. Sometimes, he'd beat me so hard I couldn't even get off of the floor, let alone get up the stairs. It was hard to go to school the next day. The pain would just be so much that I would have to stay in bed and try to forget about it," I finished, trying to look away from them. Charlie seemed stunned at what I said but, in his eyes, it showed contentment and satisfaction. He was pleased with what he did to me. Sick bastard.

"Thank you Bella. That will be all." My lawyer went to sit down and Charlie's lawyer stood up and walked forward… Oh no, this couldn't end well.

"Miss Swan, it has come to my attention that you haven't told anyone before a few weeks ago that my client has been abusing you. Did you like it?"

"Ha! You actually think that I like not going to school because I'm in so much pain that I can't even lift a finger? Ha, good one," I answered sarcastically. He didn't seem amused. "Obviously, the police officers who busted Charlie saw the pleasure in my eyes when I was _dying_ from the overdose of drugs my father inserted in my system." Looking over at Edward, he flinched at the memory. Poor him… It shouldn't be like this. Edward shouldn't have to suffer because of me. But Charlie's lawyer seemed to have shut up.

"How do we know you're not lying about your past?" Charlie's lawyer asked, gulping loudly and recovering himself.

"Oh sure, I'm lying about the fact that I shouldn't even be alive? Well, would I be lying if I told you that Charlie wanted me dead so badly that he stabbed me _twice_, shot me in the stomach and I still have the scars to prove it?" I asked, standing up and lifting my shirt to prove I wasn't lying. Charlie's lawyer just stood there shocked when I sat down. "Proof enough for you?"

Gulping once more, he said: "No further questions, your honour." Yes! I finally shut him up!

Sitting back down, I looked over to my lawyer and saw her smiling at me. Yes, this was going well. "I call Dr. Carlisle Cullen to the stand," My lawyer mentioned while standing up. Carlisle got up and walked over to the stand, recited the oath on the bible and sat down on the stand. "Dr. Cullen, you took care of my client during her recovery, is that correct?"

"Yes, I helped Bella recover from her numerous attacks," Carlisle said with a straight face.

"And what exactly was the extent of Miss Swan's injuries?"

"Bella had many injuries, half of them fatal. Mostly all of them included broken and bruised ribs, a broken leg that was forced to walk on, many cuts and bruises, punctured lungs and a few infections. There were many other wounds and the list could go on but mostly those were the deadly injuries. We have all of the hospital records on hand if needed to see," Carlisle explained. I felt so relieved that he was on my side. Because he was a doctor, it would be easier to know that I was telling the truth than just to hear my story. "It was difficult to see Bella in such a horrible state. I must say that she is getting better now but isn't quite healed yet."

"No further questions." Wow… is it just me or my lawyer didn't have many questions for Carlisle? Did she get all of the information that she needed? Hopefully…

Charlie's lawyer stepped up to the stand and stood in front of my future father. "So, Dr. Cullen, you said that you took care of Miss Swan. But did you bring her to a hospital every single time?" The lawyer asked.

"The first time, my son and I brought her to the house. Charlie attacked Bella once more a few days after and we brought her to the house as well but when she was kidnapped, we brought her straight to the hospital," Carlisle explained.

"But, as a doctor, it's your job to bring your patient to a hospital when needed," The lawyer said, pacing around. If he gets Carlisle fired, I swear I will scream and fight to save his job.

"I knew the consequences of my actions. Of course it would have been better to send Bella to a hospital but, by the time we started helping her, her heart stopped beating. If we would have brought her to the hospital during the first attack, she wouldn't be standing here today. Frankly, it saved her life to bring her to the house," Carlisle explained. It certainly didn't look good for him at the moment… "I care for Bella as if she were my daughter. I would have regretted bringing her all the way to the hospital, knowing she didn't have much time left. In total, it was a good plan to bring her home and work on her there. Wouldn't you agree?"

"No further questions, your honour," Charlie's lawyer answered stubbornly while returning to his seat. Carlisle got out of his seat while I lowered my head in shame. He could lose his job because of me. Oh god… I felt so bad.

"You may call your next witness to the stand Mr. Bradford," The judge mentioned as he carefully finished listening to my lawyer's witnesses. Unfortunately, it was Charlie's turn to explain his side of the story. Of course he would make me look bad. That's what he was here for.

"I call Charles Swan to the stand." Charlie stood up, walked over to the police officer, recited the oath and sat down on the stand. His lawyer walked over to him and asked: "So Charlie, what's your side of the story? Does it, in any way, sound like your daughter's?"

"It doesn't. Bella, of course, is still a teenager. She would make anything up to get attention. Of what I've heard, no one really likes Bella at school so; this is a great way to get some attention," Charlie answered with a straight face, as if this was all true. What a bunch of lies!

"Objection! That's completely false! My client would never abuse _herself_ to get attention! She's a—"

"This is not your time to speak, Mrs. Johnson," Charlie's lawyer retorted and returned to my father. "Continue please."

"Well, as I was saying, a few years ago, Bella was starting to act weird. As a father, I knew that something was wrong and a part of me was willing to go talk to her but… she seemed really discrete. Unfortunately, I decided to let things go for a little while and that was probably the worst decision ever. One day, I noticed that there were cuts along her arms and it scared me. I persisted Bella to go to a therapist or something to help her deal through her mother's death but then, she started hanging out with this man called Edward Cullen and that scared me even more." Damn him! He was _not_ bringing Edward into this whole mess. Not on my watch. "She arrived home with bruises and scratches along her body and—"

"Don't you dare bring Edward into this! He did nothing wrong you—" I shouted, standing up but was stopped by the judge who was hitting the gavel on the stand.

"Order!" The judge yelled and everyone stopped yelling. It was then that I realized that people were yelling at Charlie as well. They knew his story was false. Edward hadn't touched me in that way whatsoever. How dare he say that Edward was to blame?

"He changed her. Bella's not who she used to be. I've tried to make some sense out of this but…" Charlie looked away from the audience as if he would cry. What an actor! I can't believe he didn't go as an actor for his career choice. "I'm sorry but I can't continue."

"No further questions, your honour," Charlie's lawyer said as his client walked towards the table and avoided looking at the crowd. But unfortunately, when he did sneak a glance in my direction, he smirked at me. What a liar!

"The jury will now make their decision," The judge said as the jury walked out of the courtroom into a small room and made their decision. Glancing behind me, the Cullens were all looking at me with sympathy written all over their faces. Edward's eyes were blazing with anger as he looked from me to my father. These few minutes were agonizing. It was hard to wait here and contemplate if Charlie would be sent to jail or be found not guilty.

But just as the jury came back in the room, sweat formed on my forehead. Now was the moment of truth.

"Has the jury made their decision?" The judge asked.

"We have your honour. We find the defendant…" My heart felt as if it was going a million miles per hour. What if Charlie was found not guilty? I'd have to go back to him. He would kill me for sure, no pity or even a sign of remorse. I'd never see Edward or the Cullens ever again. My life would be meaningless, "guilty of abuse and attempt at murder." A sigh of relief escaped my lips. He was going to jail. It was all over. My life was worth something now.

"Then I hereby sentence Charles Swan to a lifetime sentence in prison with no bail. And we declare that Dr. Carlisle Cullen's licence be removed from the medical business for his actions towards Isabella Swan for a period of a year." My heart sank at that last sentence. Carlisle couldn't practice for a whole year because of me… As everyone in the room cheered, I sat in my chair and stared at the desk, unable to do anymore. Carlisle wasn't able to work in a hospital for a _year_ because of me. How horrible am I?

Edward ran up to me, gathered me in his arms and chanted: "We did it!" But I wasn't able to cheer with him. Although I was thrilled that Charlie was going to jail, I felt so horrible about Carlisle. Edward noticed my change in attitude, set me down and asked me: "What's the matter love? Charlie's going to jail. You should be thrilled."

"I am. It's just…"

"Don't worry Bella. It's only temporary," Carlisle insisted with a smile as he placed his hand on my arm.

"Yeah, but still. Because of me, you won't—" I was interrupted when Edward's lips crashed down onto mine and stopped me from apologizing to his father. "Edward…" I whispered when we separated from the passionate kiss.

"You're free love. Just think about that for now," Edward insisted with a crooked smile.

Giving everyone a hug, Alice exclaimed: "Let's go celebrate!" Everyone agreed and we drove to _The Sing Star Restaurant_. We had fun, enjoyed our food and relaxed as a family. My worries were far behind me as we ate our food and laughed half-heartedly. My smile wouldn't go away. This was the happiest moment of my life and no one could ruin it. "So, I say that Bella should sing tonight," Alice commented when we were all done. Everyone cheered at the idea and it made me blush. The Cullens were so caring and liked to hear me sing. It was a wonderful feeling, to know that people cared for me.

"Alright, I'll do it." This time, I didn't hesitate. I wanted to perform tonight. It would fill me with positive remarks and it was something I loved doing these days. Ever since Esme proposed that I started writing my own songs, my heart longed to write and perform. Walking towards the stage, the manager let me perform and the band accepted to play with me.

Gathering the guitar, I went up to the microphone and started playing. It felt nice to have the feel of the guitar under my fingers, the pick between my index and thumb. I played the song _Ignorance_. It had been playing in my mind for a while now.

This was right. I finally belonged somewhere and it was with the Cullens.

**So, what did you think? It might have been rushed and frankly, I didn't have any time to write this week (sorry for the delay) but hey, there will be a sequel so it should make you all happy:) Thanks Golden Perception again for the inspiration and I really appreciate it! So now, REVIEW FOR THIS EPILOGUE AND ANTICIPATE THE SEQUEL VERY SOON!**

**Bellacullenswan17**

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